


Of mirrors and smoke

by RedMind05



Category: Alec Lightwood - Fandom, Clary Fray - Fandom, Isabelle Lightwood - Fandom, Jace Herondale - Fandom, Robert & Maryse Lightwood, Simon Levis, magnus bane - Fandom
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-07
Updated: 2016-01-09
Packaged: 2018-03-29 11:47:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 65
Words: 92,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3895192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedMind05/pseuds/RedMind05
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nobody is who they say they are. Magnus is a skinny kid with a big dream and the Lightwoods aren't the Lightwoods but the Cruz de la Vegas, Millers, Strips and many more. In a gray world where crime becomes law and love is destruction, there is no place for a dreamer. Magnus thought he knew that, but one day a blue eyed beauty came along and told him otherwise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

I paid my duds,  
time after time,  
I’ve done my sentence,  
but committed no crime,

And bad mistakes,  
I made a few,  
I’ve had my share and tears in my face,  
but I come through  
And it goes on, and on, and on!

We are the champion,  
my friends

And we’ll keep on fighting till the end,

We are the champions,  
we are the champion  
No time for losers,  
cus we are the champions,  
of the world

Magnus stood next to his friend Catrina, at the back of he room, wishing he was up there on stage next to the Cruz siblings and their gang. He envied them, they did whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted and however they wanted, and NOBODY would tell them anything, on the contrary, they were respected and admired. Speaking of admiring, Magnus particularly admired Murphy Cruz de la Vega. He was openly gay, captain of the swimming, shooting, martial arts and glee club, which by the way was more of a band than a club, and he won prom king. Which you would think isn’t really a big deal, thing is, he won prom king at Magnus’s school (Jackson Maurice High) and he didn’t even go to his school! Their band was requested to play at prom and they were being paid over a 100 bucks…each!

He would die for that kind of easy money. How hard can it be to dance and sing at the same time? Maybe a little, but he had been a walking carrot for 6 hours and he hadn’t even been paid half of what one of them was being paid for “dancing”.

What was so goddamn special about them…apart from being steaming hot sophomores with amazing talents, expensive cars and a 4 story “loft” in Chelsea, fine, they were pretty sensational. However that was their life and he wasn’t living it, he wasn’t like them, fearless and utterly cool. Magnus was just a skinny kid with a big dream and no parents.

No parents? Well, yeah, he found out he was bisexual and tried telling his mother, which didn’t turn out well, rather in a catastrophe. So now he just went from house to house, whoever would take him in. Right now, he lived with the “Ramones”an old Spanish couple who hated him but had to take him otherwise Mr. Ramon went to jail. For raping a panda, seriously, a panda?!

Magnus wished he wasn’t so shy, so maybe he could gather enough courage to get up and thank Murphy for saving his ass earlier that week. 

30 minutes, 4 tries to talk to Murphy and half a beer later Magnus was putting one foot infant of the other towards the dance floor and the boy he silently admired and maybe, just maybe, had a crush on. After all, blue eyes and black hair were his favorite combination.


	2. Chapter 2

He nearly made it when it suddenly started raining punch. Two strong hands grabes him from behind, covering his mouth and nose while tearing at his hair. He was pulled out of gym and next thing he knew he was about to regret having left Catrina’s side.

Although Magnus was no stranger to pain, physical or emotional, it didn’t mean he didn’t feel it, because he certainly did. Even if he wished he didn’t. Punches and kicks came raining down like Satan’s very own, very personal wrath. He curled into a ball and prayed they wouldn’t get his face too badly. He could always wear jeans and sweaters but sunglasses 24/7 just wasn’t an option.

-How do you like it, little punk?-Jet’s voice echoed in his ear; it was cruel and cold as stone, Magnus shivered and couldn’t help but whimper when Javier took him by the hair, pulled him halfway up and let him crash back down, Magnus could no longer hold his tears back and as they streamed down his face, like water out of a broken dam, a sob escaped his mouth, and he immediately regretted it.  
-Shut the fuck up! You disgusting bastard! I thought we made it clear you would make no sound, didn’t we?-Jet literary spit out  
-Answer me!  
-Yeah, answer me you freak!  
-This is your last day, what if you die? Would anyone care?  
-Obviously not…So why not make the world a better place and free it of your disgusting homo ass, what do you think?  
-Answer!  
-Talk faggot!-They kept calling him that while he tried to zone out, focus on the music in the next room. Anything, he even tried to focus on the dust, on his shirt on whatever was there. But there wasn’t anything but pain. He thought about the pain, about how it was all in your head and it nearly worked if a foot hadn’t crushed his crouch and a scream tore out of him.  
-Make him shut up!-Jet yelled at his friend who as if on que punched Magnus, first the face and then his stomach to knock the wind out of him and it certainly did. Well, for a while, until Javier kicked him onto his back and jumped on him. His head hit the floor and his vision started going fuzzy at the edges. Was this a dream? How had he gotten here again? “I lived” was playing, who wrote that song again?  
He felt their feet on him, crushing his bones and bruising every inch of his skin, when suddenly there was a yell and the weight has lifted off him. Had it been Jet’s voice? Javier? Did they fall off? He had no idea, he was so tired, so hurt. He felt himself being picked up but by the time his feet were off the floor his mind was already gone.


	3. Chapter 3

-Hey there-a soft voice spoke right into his ear. Magnus tensed up immediately. Who was this? Where was he?  
-No need to worry, I’m Murphy. I think we met a few days ago, in a similar situation actually. How do you manage to get so much attention from two of the 4 hottest guys in school?  
-Wha..what? Where…am I?-Magnus stutter without reading one bit.  
-In a blue lamborghini aventador, on my lap, in the school parking lot, in New York, in Manhattan, in the USA, in America, on the planet Earth.-Murphy smiled at him, a really kind and damn sexy smile. It was then when Magnus realized he was on the other boy’s lap with his arms around him. Why was the only question left to answer, he had already been beaten up so he might as well ask.  
-Why…um…are you…um…  
-Holding you?  
-Yeah…  
-Because you are really cute and I fear that if I don’t hold you you’ll probably fall apart.  
-Oh-Magnus had never been complimented before so he had no idea how to react and for the falling apart, Magnus agreed with that too, but he wasn’t too sure if Murphy could hold him together enough to bring all the pieces back into place. Probably not, he was just so seriously messed up.  
-Hey, it’s okay. Don’t cry.I send my people after them, they won’t see the light of day in a couple month or ever again if you ask me.-And then he did something Magnus would never have even dreamt. He brought his thumb to his cheek and whipped away the tears. Cupped his face and asked:  
-Why do you do this to them?  
-What? Do what…?  
-You make them beat you up, why?  
-I…I don’t do that! They just come and…I don’t know why…- More tears made their way down his face and once again a soft pale hand came up and wiped them away.  
-I know why Magnus. But I con’t help you if you don’t, so I’ll tell you. But don’t expect me to tell you twice, because I won’t.  
-Ok…  
-It’s their job.  
-Wha-  
-Let me finish. It’s how it works. The jocks beat up the geeks, the cheerleaders break the nerd’s glasses and walk over their dreams. But why? It’s their job, it’s what they do. It’s their time, since they won’t accomplish anything worthy, they must feel worthy in high school, otherwise they never will. But what does a worker need to work? An employe, someone to keep them in check without interfering with their job too much. Someone they not only respect but also fear. And that person, that’s you.


	4. love hexagon

You cheated on me?!  
He cheated on you  
Shut the fuck up Bane! This is non of your damn business!  
Actually it is, since he is my best friend an all…  
Well, while I do not deny your statement dear Ragnor, that isn’t the only reason why this isn’t my damn business.  
What do you mean?-  
Don’t you dare to-  
What? He came forward, so we should too, it’s the only way it’s fair.  
Camille cheated on me with you, didn’t she?  
What the hell! How do you know?  
I’m the cheating master, I always know Camille…  
But wasn’t Tessa dating Jam?  
He’s called Jem.  
You did him too, right?  
Camille?  
Ok Fine! If you must know, yes I slept with him.  
So let me get this straight, Ragnor cheated on Camille with Tessa, which means Tessa cheated on James with Ragnor, who was being cheated on by Camille with Magnus (me) who by sleeping with Camille, was cheating on Will while Camille cheated on Ragnor.  
This is fucking genius!  
Indeed it is dear Master Fell  
How the hell is this genius boys?  
This is our ticket to the top.  
You mean to be popular?  
We already are Cam!  
No, not to be popular, to rule this shitty school. Imagine what kind of a drama this would create, it would be a gossip explosion. We are the hottest people around here and as a matter of fact, we rule the fashion scene. It can’t be hard to rule this hellhole too, right?  
I don’t know…  
Think about it, Magnus is right, it IS one hell of an opportunity.  
Maybe, but I don’t want slutty girls all over the place or crappy jocks dating my crew, understood? Nobody dates long term. 2 weeks max.  
Yes, ma’am!  
And slutty jocks?  
Magnus!  
What about crappy girls?  
He’s in.  
Right.

They looked at each other and from there on, there was no doubt they ruled the place. High heels clicking down the halls, glittery winks, shiny hair and gossip non stop. Magnus Bane, Camille Belcourt and Rangor Fell were royalty. They were the new Lightwoods.


	5. Chapter 5

-Who is that?-Camille asked her cat eyed friend as they strolled down the hall.

-Travis, Steward, Milan? Who knows, he's the red heads boyfriend I think-Magnus answered as he looked over at the cute little guy Camille had pointed out, he wore glasses and a "Mortal Instruments" band tee.

-Mortal Instruments...Wasn't that the Lightwood's bands?-Ragnor interjected

-Yeah, the bass player was so hot, gosh!!! -Stop drooling Belcourt! besides, the singer was way cuter. Alex or something like that... -Alexander-Magnus didn't even mean to say that out loud, it just came out.

-Wow, someone is well informed!

-Shut up, Magnus grumbled just as the bell rung and saved hm from further questioning. Alexander was a sensitive topic. He was the first who had ever made him feel worthy of something. Even if he had just confronted him and chased away his bullies, nobody had done anything for Magnus, not to help him like that, without asking for anything in return.No, never. And it had been really confusing when he found out he wasn't called Murphy, when he found out Cruz de la Vega was a farm in New Mexico, and his crush was actually called Lightwood

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-Are you fucking kidding me?! There is no way I'm moving bak to NY! Just no way! First you ship me off to Europe and now you want to throw me back in. There's no way I'm going back. 

-Alexander Gideon Lightwood! How dare you talk to your father like this! I will not tolerate your sins in this house, we will move back to New York tonight! You won't see that bastard ever again, he is such a bad influence for you. Look what he has done to you! And we need the business is running low on personal. You'll leave this bastard behind and start working again.

-Damn it Robert! He hasn't done anything and there's no way I'm leaving, I live here! THIS is my life! And I don't want back in! You can't take it away from me just because you can't handle the fact that... -NO! Don't ever speak those words again. This conversation never happened!

-Whatever, you leave, I'm staying and there is nothing you can do to change it.

-We are leaving at ten.

And with that Robert Lightwood turned on his heel and walk out of the laundry room leaving his eldest son to his own misery. He knew Alexander meant it, and since he was technically an adult he couldn't do anything to prevent this, _situation..._ Not unless that son of a bitch disappeared. It wasn't particularly ethical or for the matter, legal. But when in Rome... Hell, he never knew what that meant, it just sounded right, it somehow fitted the situation. They were in Rome after all.

 

 

 

The glass doors of San Alberto Magno's high flew open and every single conversation died, even Magnus and ranger shut up.

Black converse, skin tight ripped black jeans, white t-shirt, black leather jacket, striking golden eyes and a perfect square jaw. Not to mention the hair, which put every lion to shame.

10 inches high heel black leather spiked boots, short, as in _very_ short, skirt, red long coat, black tight top, even darker hair and pitch black huge eyes. perfect make up and those curves...

Heavy black combat boots, skinny black ripped jeans with a small silver chain hanging from his right pocket to his belt loop. Which brought Camille's eyes up to his hips, where his jeans where ridding dangerously low. Black t-shirt under a black aviators jacket with some badges and pictures on the upper left sleeve. There was some kind tattoo peeking out over his collar and down his pale hands. Raven black hair and _shit_...was it even possible to have electric blue eyes? And those boots, didn't she have those?

Camille looked over at her _friends_ and with one glance she knew, they were all thinking the same thing. Lightwoods.

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

The three teens made their way through the crowd, which partnered like the red sea, towards the main office. Ken and Barbie stayed outside while the dark Ken went in and talked to the head master. Few minutes later, nothing in the hall had moved. They all stood there gapping, drooling, whispering or in Magnus’s case asking himself a very too crucial question. Were this the Lightwoods, or just Lightwoods. Was this the Alexander, or some cousin, brother whatsoever, his eyes looked the part, but the rest of him, his attitude, there was no way this could be the same guy. They would find out soon enough and just as he thought this the office door flew open, dark Ken handed each of his crew a paper, their schedule he supposed, exchanged a few words and then their ways parted, golden ken and sexy Barbie went left and Dark ken went right, heading for the exit and just before he set the first foot outside, he spoke the most cocky & assholeic & douchbagic words Magnus had ever heard. They also convinced him that this is not his Alexander. Not a chance.  
-I’m hotter than hell, but do please stop drooling and get back to your shitty lives.-And the door flew shut behind him. You could, however, see through it a little as it was made out of think, but nevertheless transparent glass. He radiated confidence as he jumped into his black Mustang, put on some black sunglasses, those pilots used to wear, and took off. 

-Who the hell does he think he is, the queen of England or what?!-Camille’s irritated voice sounded through the school, echoing of the walls  
-I do believe Elizabeth would never pair combat with aviator, she ain’t no criminal.-Magnus’s voice was smooth as silk and just like that everything was back to normal.  
-Indeed, a huge fashion crime…- Ragnor murmured, but silently applauded the three newbies, for choosing this particular hell hole to spend their adolescence in. An excellent choice indeed…  
-New toys-Camille purred, proving Ragnor wasn’t the only one thinking this.  
Hm…- Magnus wasn’t that convinced - You sure it’s three of them, because as far as I’m concerned only two stayed to attend class.  
-Maybe he goes to another school, or college maybe?  
-No way, he’s far too young, but have you seen that skin!  
-To hell with the skin, that ass though!  
-You perverted little pieces of shit-Magnus laughed and walked to his last period, Maths. Who needed freaking maths? There were calculators for a reason, and if you didn’t know hoot use one, you could always hire Simon Lewis.

 

Wellcome to class Isabelle! I’m sure you’ll be happy here. Sit right there please, next to Ms Roberts. She’ll introduce you to everything around here, but I do expect everyone to be as nice to her as possible, at least in this class and when I’m around. Now, lets start with Franco…

-I’m Maya, wellcome to hell.  
-Iz-The tall brunette replied in a cold tone, but the thought better of it and offered the Mexican? African? girl a warm smile. Maya returned it, but as soon as Mrs. Gloria turned away it disappeared and she turned serious.  
-Now listen pretty face, no matter how hot, cool or rich you are you do not fuck with Bane, Fell nor Belcourt. And I mean this in the most literal way possible. Understand?  
-Who are these people?-Iz was kind of irritated, she hated it when people told her what to do, but since she had no idea how things worked around here she figured it was best to flow mayas advice, she seemed to be the kind of person to trust.  
-You’ll notice them soon enough, Ragnor Fell, green hair, brown eyes, tight leather and open pants. Camille Belcourt, straight forward bitch, blond, massive curves and skinning legs. As for Magnus Ben, you just see him. He’s impossible to be missed, he rules the fashion scene, including make up, nails and hair. Designs his own clothes, flirty as fuck. He’s the king of parties and do not ever get on his bad side, like ever.  
-Yeah, well I’m not lesbian so Camille’s ruled out, I hate man whores and there is nobody with a better fashion sense than me.  
Maya laughed and smiled at Izzy with pity, before speaking to her as if she was 3.  
-Oh poor Iz, first of all, the fact that you aren’t bisexual won’t stop them, it’s some kind of spell, nobody gets left out. Secondly Fell makes his way into everyones pants unless you punch him and Magnus Bane is Magnus Bane. He’s the freaking president.  
-Whatever, I’ll listen to you, but don’t expect me to do anything else you tell me. I don’t carry out orders from anyone.  
-Fine with me, and by the way, where do you even live?  
Iz giggled and she just had to admit,  
-I have absolutely no idea. My big brother organizes everything, like literally everything. It’s some kind of magic-she whispered and winced at her new friend.

 

Dirty brown wavy hair flash through my mind overtime I closed my eyes. Grey-blue eyes full of life, damn, he was always so alive. He pushed his hands thorough his hair, then his left hand moved to the red seven tattooed on his right arm. Fuck, why? Why? Why him? I made my way over to the piano. The house I had arranged had a huge garden, it even had a lake and if you walked far enough you reached a cliff. Angry water splashed against the rock and the smell of the sea hung thick in the air. You could even walk down to a small beach if you knew where to put you feet. Although this was great, the best part was the piano right on the edge of the cliff. I had it made a couple years ago, it was late resistant and the wood was harder than usual wood, you could probably dance claque on it. He made his way over and sat on the black bench.

My fingers found the keys 

Step on you say we need to talk,  
His full laugh, the way his eyebrows would go upwards every time he smiled.  
You say sit down, it’s just a talk,  
Smiles politely back at you,  
You stare politelyright on through.  
The way he literally lived his music…  
Some sort of window to your eyes…  
His hands moved on their own and the lyrics came out of him, not his mouth, but him. They say when you are happy you enjoy the music, but when you are sad you understand the lyrics. Izzy told him this every time she broke up with someone, she didn’t mean it though. She never cared.  
Nobody ever did, nobody but him. Tears run down his face, mixing with the rain. When had it started raining? His fingers flew over the keys, words tumbled out of him and this strange feeling overrated his body. He had no idea what it was, he was usually okay, not happy, but just okay. Life was bearable, then he came along and it was great. His life came to life. Then he was gone, then Max was gone, then they were all gone and now he was here.  
Where did I go wrong,  
I lost a friend…  
Fireworks exploded around him, -“you aren’t alone Alec, you’ll never alone again.” “Promise?” “Who cares about promises, this is a fact. As long as the sky is above you and the group below you, I'm here and you are not alone.”.  
-How to save a life…

I wished I knew how to save his own life. 7:15 I should get going, he thought, or else they wouldn’t believe him. He had texted them the address on the drive here, the real address. As he drove over Brooklyn bridge to pick up his sibling who were at some guy’s party Nicotine, by PATD started playing. HE called Jace, voicemail. Izzy’s, also went straight to voicemail. He called a couple times more over the next 20 minutes. Call 34 his sister picked up, she was probably hsitfaced already, which meant Jace was too. Which meant he couldn’t just tell them to take the bus or something.  
-Yo Aleeeec! hfjvhjvf!!! Come up! It’s awesome!  
-You have ten minutes to go get Jace and bring your sorry ass down here, or else I’m leaving you here. I mean it.  
-Oh poor Alexaneeeeeerrr! So lonely! Come up, geeeeet laid, live a little!  
-You have 10 minutes Isabelle.  
-Come on man, don’t be such a loser! Come out of your freaking closet and party with us!  
-That’s enough Iz, now come on, we’re leaving and I’m not saying this twice. You got school tomorrow and it’s already 1am!  
-Just stop it Alec. If you want to say at home in your damn closet stay there, but you won’t ruin my life, again.  
-Excuse me?-he hated the way everyone blamed all his problems on his sexuality, right now, his sexuality was the least of his worries. An besides, he was long out of the closet, not that his sister would care to find out.  
-You know exactly what I’m talking about. Emir left because you’re a fucking coward and you couldn’t handle being rejected. Hell, you are probably already in Narnia, as far in the closet as you are.  
-What the fu-  
-Stop pretending! We all know it was because of you, dad told us alright? We had to leave our baby brother there because of you, it’s your fault, it always is.  
What the hell had Robert told Izzy and Jace? They…they didn’t know about Max…They thought we left him there…they had…no idea…Now it made sense...everything made sense, fucking Robert.  
-Do whatever you want, I’m leaving.  
Izzy laughed and with the cruelest voice ever she spat,  
-You are not leaving, and you know it so stop pretending. It’s all you ever do, how about a little honesty?-and she hung up.  
PUTA MIERDA! I kicked the front wheel of this Mustang, rage boiling inside him and the worst thing was, he knew she was right. He wouldn’t leave. He would wait here until 5am and then drive them home, get then some aspirin, write a false excuse for them and then drive them to school. He was their fracking nanny! On the on hand he guessed it’s better they don’t know, because believe me, it hurts, a lot. Not the oohs she/he dumped me hurt, but the I wanna kill myself so it ends kind of hurt. But on the other hand it was just so fucking hard to pretend everything was alright, to pretend he went to college every day, to pretend he didn’t stay home all day doing our immigration paper work because they were to fucking lazy to do it, running a freaking company, pretending to be the badass big bro so nobody would fuck with my little sister or cheat on his brother when he committed some stupid mistake. It was so fucking hard knowing his little brother was dead and having to pretend he’s alive. It so fucking hard to deal with homophobic parents. It’s so fucking hard to deal with those grey eyes that come into his mind very time he closed his eyes and knowing they’re gone from his life, from life in general actually. Knowing his father is a fucking cheating bastard and his mum has no clue. Knowing he's the fucking glue that keeps everything together. Knowing he's never anyones favorite anything. He does so much and gets nothing in exchange, and that is very fucking hard.

Alec POV,

I sat on the roof of my black Mustang and watched drunken couples tumble out of some apartment, where apparently the party was at. Maybe I could get a pass or something so I wouldn't have to pretend I went to school every day, Robert owed him that, well he owed him a fucking universe, but this he had to do. I looked at my watch, 2:17 am. My eyes were heavy and my mood was dark. I got annoyed really fast, I had no idea when or how I became this way but somehow I was this irritable, jackass psycho freak who couldn’t deal with his own shit. I lay back and looked at the stars, well at the street lights. Those were manhattans stars. And Max, oh god… I looked down the street to my left and a red signs caught my eye. Culebra Tattoos, I took off my jacked and threw it into my car, I pulled up my shirt and looked for some space on my body. Just under my rib cage there was a little blank space of ghost pale skin, right between a pocket chip and a Cheshire smile.  
I knew this feeling all to well, I had never been able to resist it. Two-thirds of my skin where probably made out of ink, but who cares. Art is art and if I wanted it on me that was my decision, fuck the haters, Izzy used to say this, but I doubt she meant it. She doesn’t mean anything anymore.  
I took out a pen and a paper and started designing. Just three letters, the on in the middle slightly smaller, the X was curvy and curled around the cheshire smile. The M was curly and had a small naruto superhero looking out from behind it. I grabbed my paper and walked into the store. Some people cut, I tattooed.


	7. Chapter 7

-Wow man… You sure got quite some art there-the tattoo parlor whistled as he checked out the curled pattern on his left side, it was one of those doodle things you draw in class, like the inside of a sea shell, but with thousands of small shell shapes inside each branch of the bigger ones, they intertwined and went one over the other.  
-Hm…- Alec hated it when people tried talking to him while he got his tattoos done, or when he was at the dentist. How was he supposed to tell the dentist how his career was coming along with the guy’s hands in his mouth? Some people just didn’t know how not to talk, it was annoying, the punch in the face worthy kind of annoying.  
-Seriously, who designed this?  
-I made it on the plane from Valencia here.-let’s talk then…  
-On a plane?! Damn dude, you sure got some talent there!  
-Maybe…  
-No, I’m serious. This is some really good shit, big money worth shit.  
-Yeah  
-Do you also tattoo yourself?  
-Nah, my boyfriend used to do that, it was pretty awesome. We had this shop, I talked to people, studied them you could say, and then designed something that fitted them. He would take the needle and whatever color he thought looked good and that was it. If whoever we tattooed was happy they could leave for free. If they however hated it, they were charged. Thought they never knew this until the end.-Alec had no idea why he told some stranger about Emir, but he had always found it easier talking to strangers than family or friends, which for the record, he didn’t have, anymore. But this guy just talked so much and before he knew it he was giving him tips and they were laughing.  
-Like it?-Alec looked at his torso, run his fingers over it and nodded. It wasn’t the style he was used to, but change was exactly what he needed right now.  
-Yeah, the style is different, more American, but that makes it really cool. Yeah, it’s actually awesome.  
-In that case, you are free to go, no charges.-A wicked grin appeared on Alec's face, he had been told smiles are contagious, and sure they were. The parlor had a lopsided grin on his own face.  
They laughed and before he knew it he was sitting against the building, under the red light with Portugal, (the tattooer) sipping his 5th beer and talking about unhappy clients, the worst tattoos ever and other shit of the kind. He ended up getting some more tattoos and Portugal got some more too, it was just so easy talking to this guy. He was one hell of a story teller, openminded as fuck and probably the funniest dude alive. Time was irrelevant, hours were years and decades where minutes. A new client arrived, Portugal went in with her, Alec went slowly back to his car with 9 digits written across his wrist, to find a furious Isabelle and a hung over Jace glaring at him just as the first sun rays made their way over the pavement, just as the alcohol made his way over Alec, leaving him a huge headache and two drunken, pissed off sibling to deal with. Shit.


	8. You are Magnus

-What the hell where you thinking Alec?-Izzy’s voice sounded twice as high pitched as it usually was. For a second he thought he got lucky and that was it. Hell was he wrong.  
-What the actual fuck Alec! We’ve been waiting here for 3 hours and now you show up completely shit faced , what is wrong with you?  
-Yeah, what the fuck is wrong with you? Ever since we left Madrid and you came back from Barcelona you’ve been all over the place. What’s with the tattoos, why did you get them all of a sudden. And the badass attitude? What by the angel is wrong with you? Stop being so damn selfish and wake up! Summer is over, it time you get your shit together!  
-I need to get my shit together? I’m not the one who left their older brother outside a fucking party in the middle of the night waiting for hours and when he finally calls and tells you to get your ass down here you insult him? You can get drunk and have fun but I have to play the fucking babysitter? It’s not fair but I don’t complain, not often and just let me remind you, you have no idea how boring it is to sit out here watching you make out with the red head and ignoring me, so I’m sorry but I fail to see how this is my fault! I have a life too and if you can't handle the fact that I'm not your maid then fuck you!  
Jace just rolled his eyes and spit on the side walk before getting in the drivers seat and starting the engine. Izzy glared at him and got in after Jace slamming the door.  
-You can’t drive-Alec hated the way his siblings wouldn’t understand him, or the law for that matter.  
-It’s 5 am, I don’t think a fucking cop will care that we drunk alcohol 5 hours ago! Seriously, get your act together!  
-You’ll still get in accident, or maybe you do get pulled over. Just take the subway, you just can't drive!-It was so fucking frustrating, why couldn’t they be careful? Because ethic didn't know, right.  
-Watch me - Jace hissed and sped off. Great. Just great… Alec made his way down the street, he was so lost in thoughts and worry that he didn’t notice the crack sound of the phone he had just stepped on. However, he did notice the yell that followed. He turned around and saw… well nobody. What the hell? Then a flower printed lamp landed next to him on the pavement, an old chines woman stuck her head out of the third window to the left, insulted him (he happened to speak chines, but he failed to see how being called a spring roll cat was an insult, maybe he should start reading chines again…he might be getting a little rusty) but as he thought this a white fur ball landed on his head and scratched his fore head, before falling off him, landing on the lamp and running dome the street as if the devil was after it.  
-What…?-He never got t finish because another lamp clattered on the pavement next to him, a hot dog landed next the first lamp soon after and that was his cue to leave. Ketchup on his new tattoos was not something he fancied. He didn’t bother looking up, he would’t see anything, the sun would blind him and his head was killing him. He turned around and nearly bumped into a black glitter thing.  
-Sorry-He muttered not too gently and attempted to continue walking but the glitter thing appeared to have arms and caught him.  
-Lightwood right?  
Alec sighed and nodded, why did everyone know him? Couldn’t he just fly under the radar? You are worth looking at, din’t ever deny that. Emir’s voice echoed in his head, shit.  
-Are you even listening? No, of course you aren’t. All too mighty to listen, but aren’t they all?! -The glitter guy, he was guy, seemed… angry? Why did people get pissed with I'm so much?  
-I’m sorry okay? Who are you by the way?  
-Magnus Bane, now back to the matter at hand. You just destroyed my phone and lost my cat.  
-What? Your phone was lying on the ground, in the street, at 5 am in the morning. And your cat must have jumped out of the window next to all these hideous lamps. Why was your phone even here? And why is it raining purple glitter?  
-I dropped it and now I came back to get it, and found you standing on it, which if you don’t mind me pointing out, you still are. And as for the glitter, embrace it, because it's awesome.  
Alec stepped off the phone, which he indeed was still standing on. He dug his hand into his back pocket and fished out a couple dollars with he handed…. Magnus was it? Thing is Magnus stared at the cash, then back at him, then back at the money and then back up at Alec. This went on for a while until the golden eyed boy finally spoke. Golden eyes, cat eyes, caramel skin…was this? No way…He looked up at Magnus, really looked. Until now he hadn’t really seen him, he had just been another inconvenience on his way home. But now…this was him. Black ebony hair, thin structure, elegant features, emerald green eyes with sun rays in them. The voice had gotten deeper and Magnus taller, but it was him. The way his ears pointed up like and elf’s. Fuck, he had spaced out again, what was he saying? Never mind.

-You are Magnus.-


	9. The show is on

And in that magical moment when zephyr met emerald the seventh most unfortunate event in Alexander Gideon Lightwood’s life took place. Magnus opened his mouth but his worlds were drowned out by the sound of a gun shot. Magnus’ eyes went wide but before he could blink Alexander had already reacted.

He grabbed Magnus by the back of his neck, pulled him down and pushed him into the first open door he saw. Magnus landed roughly, he hit his back on the stairs, probably ruined his hair and broke a nail but before he could complain Alexander’s hand was over his mouth (damn his hand was sexy) and hissed:  
-Stay put, no sound no movement until I tell you. Understand? - This last part was obviously not mean to be a question as the white boy had already turned his back, pulled out his cell and was now talking frantically in Italian? Spanish? It was far too fast for Magnus to fully make out but he did speak a little Spanish…  
-…Que sea posible, pero lo es vale? Envía alguien…No se… Espera…Magnus?-  
-Yeah?-His stare was so intense Magnus could practically see the Adrenaline flowing through his body.  
-Remember 6 years ago at that dance music party school shit?  
-You mean prom?  
-Yeah, what was my name?-Magnus would have been confused, but he wasn’t. Some years ago he and Catrina had found out that the “Strip de la Vega” family was actually the “Lightwood” family, and Cruz Vega was a fucking farm in New mexico, and Murphy was Alexander, Cristiano was actually Jonathan, Zed was Max and Esperanza was Isabelle. Which was a shame because Esperanza (hope, for those who don’t speak Spanish) suited her a lot better, it even sounded better. But right now the words tumbling off Magnus’s lips couldn’t have been further from the answers Mr.Bond wanted.  
-Tell me 5 things about you after we get out of here.  
Alexander looked at him as if he was crazy, which he probably was, but Magnus couldn’t let such a glorious chance at gossip pass by.  
-What the fuck Bane? Just tell me, I’m about to get my head chopped off here!  
-You but not me, so deal?  
-YES, whatever! Speak!  
-Murphy Strip de la Vega-Alexander turned around and spoke into his phone, fast, loud, furious, intense.  
-…Lo cogiste? Necesito alguien ahí ahora!…Guatemala?…Y Rafael?…Mierda!…Que te follen!  
He threw the phone against the wall, cursed a few times, run his left hand thorough his hair, grabbed a steel bar from the wall, tore it out and jumped into the street. This might seem like a long process, but in reality it only took about 2 seconds. Magnus crawled to the entrance and peeked out. He was fascinated. No, mesmerized.

Two figures dressed in black from head to toe wearing skii masks stood opposite a young man with stunning blue eyes and a cold piece of metal in his left hand. The first figure moved, Alexander swung his “weapon”, missed, the masked guy fired his gun the moment Alexander’s hand came up to the back of his head, the second figure pressed the trigger, and just like in the movies Alexander used the body of the first opponent to block shot. Blood erupted form the “human shield” onto Alexander who grabbed the dead? Just hurt? guy’s hand, fired it on the side walk 3 times until all the bullet where spent then focused back on the one left. The dude took one look at his blood covered partner and took off. Too late… The metal bar went from Alexander’s hand, through the air, into his/her back. Magnus couldn’t handle it any more, a scream escaped his mouth, his hands flew up to cover it but the sound had already been made. Alexander spun around just in time to see the first tears make their way down the asian looking boy’s cheeks. Magnus didn’t care any more, he didn’t care about the blood, nor the guns. But the way the bar had been thrown, so accurate, so precise, it brought back all the memories he had spent a decade burring. "You bastard killed your mum, now you must pay, or see him pay". He fell back on his heels, head in his hand asking himself how the day had come to this. It was barely 7 am and…and…oh God…it was too much…the sound of metal burring itself in flesh wouldn't leave his ears…he felt bile rising in his throat, but then he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and a heavy figure kneeling down beside him.  
-Hey…- It was impossible to imagine this sweet voice belonged to the same person he had watched killing two people right in front of him.-I’m sorry you had to witness this shit.  
Did he actually just call this shit? What was wrong with this guy? Who was Alexander Lightwood?  
-You call this shit? You just killed two people! In the middle of the street and you don’t give a damn? Wh…- He never got to actually finish speaking because a smoky voice interrupted him causing Alexander to leave his side and go meet the said voice’s owner.  
-Rafael! Necesito alguien de identificaciones, una ambulancia y un fantasma.  
-Sí Capitán.-And the Mexican looking skinny sexy dude got on his phone. Actually, Magnus knew Rafael, but the called him Raphael with a really soft F sound and he took economics, not ninja liker lessons. Magnus ducked further into the entrance of the building and under the stairs, no way Raphael/Rafael was seeing him here. In 5 minutes three black SUVs and an ambulance arrived. The ambulance put the bodies onto those horrible white beds and it looked like the “positioned” them so people could see. Rafael was talking fast (everyone talked so fast!) to a tall blond woman dressed as a reporter. She nodded along and practiced? a few lines before getting in front of a camera (they had brought what looked like a whole TV studio), two women were pasting a striker that said BBC news onto one of the SUVs while a tall Chinese man surrounded the whole area in yellow “no trespassing” tape. Out of the second SUV a huge crowd of people made their way out onto the pavement surrounding the yellow tape and talking amongst themselves. Magnus noticed how the al talked about the same thing, the somehow all knew what had gone down, or what supposedly had gone down. So even had scripts! Finally Magnus spotted Alexander standing behind the third SUV (which had been dressed up as a NYPD van), he was talking to himself? The guy looked just like him, he even wore Alexander’s clothes, who had apparently changed out of his blood stained ones and given them to his double to wear. He finished talking, nodded to Rafael, looked up at the sky, grabbed a towel and disappeared into the ambulance.

Magnus sat back against the wall and tried to collect his thoughts, what hell was happening? What was going on in that ambulance? Why fake all this “as Alexander would call it” shit.  
-You coming?-Magnus looked up to find two blue seas starring down at him and a pale blood free hand stretched out waiting for him to take. He had no intention of going anywhere near Alexander ever again, like ever. He thought he knew him a little, but clearly he didn’t. And he wasn’t sure he actually wanted to. He looked up at the ghost pale boy above him and shook his head. He loved blue eyes and black hair but over the years he had learned (the bad way, that is) to stay away from trouble. In this case from people like the Lightwoods.


	10. Secrets? or forgotten truths?

I remember looking at her hurt-that was the opening line of one of the greatest movies ever. A true statement Simon thought as he glanced over at his red headed bestie. She sat there slightly slumped into her chair, hair covering her face, doodling on her desk with a green pencil. It had a little dragon on the top from D&D. He had gotten it for her last summer. She took it with her everywhere ever since. She looked up and smiled at him, he felt this “thing” tighten in his chest as if something was trying to push its way out of him. He grinned at her and she was about to mouth something when the door flew open and the most obnoxious voice ever boomed through the room.  
-I’d say I’m sorry for being late, but truth is, I’m glad. Though I’m sorry for my honesty.-and he flashed Mrs. Gogh a huge white toothpaste advertisement smile. HA! Nice try blondie, this lady won’t fall for it though. She’s probably the most asexual bitch ever. Simon was pretty sure she murdered he husband somewhere back in 2007.  
-Mr. Herondale I believe it is?  
-Sure is ma’am.  
-Please exit this classroom and walk back to the headmaster’s office.  
-It’s only the time I was late, school policy states headmaster’s office visiting comes after the third time.  
-Well, I don’t care, Pardon my honesty.  
And just like that goldilocks was gone, Simon was almost happy until he remembered he had to go there too after class. Shit.

 

-Now this is awkward - Jace stated as he sat there next to Simon who couldn’t agree more and so he told the blond dude who lost interest in Simon almost immediately until he decided to interrogate him bout Clary. favorite color, food, band, show, movie, restaurant, hobby, bf (how can you have a favorite bf, you only have one, do you?) , clothing brand, paintbrushes, flowers, parent, sibling, book, comic, everything!  
After a while Simon got ind of annoyed and decided to make soothing out of this. Maybe he could find out about these mysterious siblings now. They sure where intimidating at first, but when you got used to the black and all they were kinda cool, Izzy at least. She was also so hot, like seriously hot. Not that she would ever go for someone like Simon, much less the very Simon, but was this a reason to stop fantasizing about her? Nop.  
-Hold on there Master Herondale, from now on you ask a question and I ask one.  
-Fine, What’s her favorite band?  
-The Fray, Why did you come back?  
-Our parents thought it would be a good idea. Besides Alec wanted to come back and I didn’t care nor did Iz, so here we are. Does she have a brother or a sister or something?  
-Brother, name’s Jonathan Christopher and if you want my opinion: stay away, he’s a total psychopath. What’ with all the black?  
-Looks cool.So what kind of guys does she like?  
-Smart, kind and funny are the basics I believe. Why doesn’t your brother go to school?  
-He doesn’t need it.  
-How can he not need school?  
-He’s smart, like very smart.  
-Like gifted kind of smart?  
-Yeah and besides he doesn’t want to either. He0s a fucking genius.  
-And he would like to know why his younger brother has to screw up on his second week at school.-Simon and Jace both jumped at the sudden interruption.  
-Jeez Alec! What the hell man!  
-Don’t you what the hell me, but do tell me why I’m here again?  
-It wasn’t even my fault, this crazy teacher couldn’t handle the fact that I was right and she wasn’t…  
Simon zoned out and started looking at the eldest Lightwood kid. Simon was one hundred percent straight but he had to admit the Alec guy was no less handsome that his siblings, maybe even more as he didn’t try to show it off. Bottle blue huge eyes, he swore there was some purple in them too. They look like they contained the universe, and right now it was in the Big-bang stage. His nose was small but elegant. Not a single freckle on his porcelain white skin that contrasted with the wild black hair. He wore a thick leather jacket, but you could see the muscles flexing overtime he moved. There where tattoos creeping up his neck and on his hands, he even wore this silver ring. His siblings hand the same one. Simon had his sexuality figured out 100% but, and this he would never admit, not even to Clary, he liked looking at attractive people. It was a strange habit, but he just got this kick, you could call it, out of it. Maybe it was weird or creepy, but it was just so mesmerizing. There was cut on the inside of his palm, which by the way was moving back and forth infant of Simons face. What…?  
-Lewis!  
-Yes! Sorry, what?  
-The principal is calling for you  
-Yeah right, wait, how do you know my name?  
-Your band, The mortal instrument I believe it’s called this week  
-You know my band?  
-Yeah, but you should seriously ditch the singer  
-What the fuck Alec? Since when do you attend high school band gigs?  
-Since when do you stalk your crush’ best friend to find out about her? And red heads?-the horror look on Jace’s face was priceless, man, this Alec guy was awesome Simon thought. Until Leslie the punk secretary walked out and shouted interupting his Alec-worshiping-sesion  
-Move man!  
-Yes, of course, nice meeting you, bye.-And that would have been a great exit if he hadn’t fallen over a chair and nearly hit the floor if Jace’s older brother hadn’t moved like a freaking ninja and caught him by the shoulder pulling him back up again. Was that dried blood under his fingernails?  
-Careful there, you all right?  
-Yeah, thanks

 

OMFG Mags! Are you serious about this shit?-Ragnor was already turning pastel green from excitement, Magnus was still a little green from sickness and right now, he felt like throwing up. What the fuck had just happened? He did leave out the part about Rafael/Raphael though.  
-Yes Fell!-Camille usually called them by their surnames when she got pissed off (two-thirds of the people she knew she knew by surname, including family) and Magnus found out it was actually helpful, it kind of emphasized your point.  
-Wow, maybe Alexander Lightwood isn’t as boring as I had assumed after all. But when did you say all this happened?  
-Half a fucking hour ago…- Magnus was walking back and forth in Ragnor’s room stepping on random pieces of clothing scattered all over the floor, neither of them was a fan of closets. - Why do I have to tell you everything five times before you get it?  
-Chill out, it’s just…I got this snapchat from Cam a while ago and I swear this Alec dude was on it.  
-What? Did you do a screenshot?  
-Ah…no…But lets call our fellow friend and coworker Castairs and see what he’s got.-Fell flipped open his phone, he was probably the only person in the entire city who owned one of those phones which you could flip shut, but he insisted upon it and got it shipped in from Shanghai so he could “dramatically flip his phone shut after a heartbreaking/infuriating/or just random call”. Jup, that was Ragnor, all about the drama. Because baby lama may not need drama, but Ragnor Fell worshiped drama. Freaking drama queen.  
-…Yeah…The older one…hm…holy shit! Gucci?…yeah focus, focus…right…thanks man…you too…until Friday…bye-And Kling! Phone snaps shut.  
-Spill-  
-Snapchat never ever lies. Ever.  
-He was there?  
-Indeed he was. In the principals office actually, with his stepbrother and Simon Levis band geek fairchild’s bff. Now, lets move Bane and get to Levis before anyone else does.  
-You go, I’m gonna skip.  
-No way, move it glitter god.  
-I seriously don’t feel like going to high school after nearly dying.  
-Well I don’t feel like spending time with Levis alone, so move it!  
-I’m serious Ragnor- And Magnus was serious. He wasn’t just tired or confused or in condition to go study about cells and WWII. He was scared, seriously scared. He had spend so much time trying to get rid of it. He had no specific word to describe it, it was just this it in the back of his mind, at the bottom of his soul, in the depth of his past. And Magnus had a feeling if he didn’t stay away from Alexander Lightwood it would come back up, back into his life, into his mind. And there was no way he was going down that road again. No way in hell it was going to pull him back in. No Way.  
-Fine, then I’ll stay with you.  
-What ? Why?  
-Because I’m your best friend and because you are scared shitless.  
-I’m not scared!-Magnus protested but was surprised at how easy his friend could see through him. It was kind of touching  
-Don’t lie to me Magnus, you are trembling.-Was he trembling? Shit he was, he could feel tons of emotions inside him, they mixed in his stomach and it felt as if someone was trying to claw their was out of him through his belly.  
-Hey come here, it’s okay. We’ll figure this out.-And just like that he was in Ragnor’s arms sobbing like a dying hyena giving birth to a 500 pound heavy cow. He could feel his friends hand com through his hair. Where was he even? When had Ragnor gotten a yellow couch? His sobs died down and he leaned heavily onto his Irish best friend.  
-Let me help you Magnus, let me make you feel better.-Magnus knew what he meant. They had agreed not to sleep around between them but well…Rules where for breaking after all. He had fucked with Ragnor thousands of times and Camille as well, and he knew Camille had slept with Ragnor too. Still they were the best of friends. And since they wee the three hottest people on this planet there was nothing to complain about. But Magnus knew that tone and Ragnor never lied, he twisted the truth,but he didn’t lie. And when he said he’d make him feel better, that’s what he did. In less than 5 minutes Magnus’s jeans where down, his dick out and Ragnor around it. Moving his head up and down, his tongue moved from the bottom to the top and not once did his teeth touch him. Magnus found himself moaning, panting and then coming. He was flamboyant and well, experienced, so it usually took quite a while to make him come, but Ragnor had been his best friend, heck his brother, for so long. He knew Magnus inside out. Literally…

 

 

-Levis! Wait up!-Simon wired around in the parking lot and tried to identify who had called him, the place was packed. It was Friday after all. Julian? Jess? What was this guy’s name again? He had this strange silver hair, and intense grey eyes. He was from Japan or something. A violinist he recalled.  
-Hey J…  
-Jaimes  
-Right  
-But just call me Jem  
-Okay…Jem…- Simon was kind of social awkward, he was aware of that. And when he forgot he just needed to set a foot out the door, look at someone and bam! He remembered.  
-So I heard you visited the principal today?  
-Yeah, quite an experience-when he saw the expression on James’s faces he hurried and corrected himself-that came out wrong  
-Never mind, I guess you meant the talk with the Lightwoods?  
-Yeah, did you know Alexander has been to one of our gigs? He even knew the band’s name, well this week’s name  
-Wow, I never thought a guy like him would go for posjostutous zombie!  
-It’s the Mortal Instrument actually, the posjostutous mummies actually, was three week ago. I think…- Jem laughed at that and Simon felt a little more comfortable  
-Well about the Alexander, now that you mention him I have this friend, she thinks he’s really hot but doesn’t know if he’s a dick or actually nice. So I figured I’d ask around, won’t let poor Tess go out with a douche, now will I?  
-No, no. He’s quite cool actually. A little harsh to his sibling, I saw them screaming at each other outside some party. My sister, Rebeca lives a couple blocks down the street so I was on my way to her and passed all three Lightwoods screaming at each other. Damn they are mean to each other, like guard towards prisoner mean. But tome he was really nice, so I guess Tess is safe to ask him out. BY the way, why are you helping her? I thought you had a crush on her.  
-Well, can’t help it if she won’t like me back, but she’s still my friend and I care about her n matter what. Even if I have to go around playing gossip girl, if you know what I mean-And Simon knew very well what he meant as he thought about his own bf.  
-Yeah…  
-Anything else about this Alex character?  
-I think he gets into fights, the big kind I mean. He had this cut on his hand and blood or dirt, I wasn’t sure, under his fingernails. But maybe not, I don’t know. It’s probably just my brain jumping to conclusions.  
-Too much D&D?-Jem laughed and Simon joined in, then their ways partnered and that was that.

 

I breath you in with smoke…Ragnor’s phone rang somewhere under a sea of heels and ties. Magnus lifted his head from his friend’s side and curled into a ball on the sofa while his companion searched, cursed and dug through the depth of his clothes.  
-Gotcha!-A hiss more than a word actually, Magnus thought as he hid his head in the pillows. He loved cuddling, well, as long as it was with acceptable people. If he didn’t care about whoever was with him after sex he just left after a while, to the kitchen, living room or fell asleep if he was VERY tired. But…ah…He cared about his bf and he knew the feeling was mutual. ranger and he were similar when it came to this things.  
-You don’t say…interesting…thanks…luck with Tess…I’m not kidding, you gotta get her before Wilbur does…If I say it’s Wilbur, it is…Wilbur it shall be…see ya around man.-Snap!  
-Sorry to wake you Magnus, but need to take a field trip.  
-You mean a party?  
-You can call it whatever you like, but I’ve heard Izzy will be there, so will Rapunsel  
-Wasn’t it Jon or Jake or something?-Magnus’s head was foggy, too foggy to remember anything that happened less than 2 minutes ago. Where was he again? Right, at Ragnor’s…What was the question? Was there a question? Why was he thinking this?  
His friends snapped his fingers infant of his face before pulling him up and beginning the explanation of his masterplan.  
-I said, Isabelle and Jonathan Lightwood will attend said party, which means Alexander Lightwood will be there to pick them up at some point in the night. Which means we can follow them and find out where they live and how they live. And if they are as mean to each other as Jem says. So dress up we only have five hours till the party.  
-Holy shit! How am I supposed to get ready I so fast! I haven’t even showered! Is there a theme? Is it raining? What is Camille wearing? You remember how we wore the same outfit at Charlotte’s wedding? A disaster! What are you wearing? Where is it? Inside, outside? Garden or concrete? Who’s throwing it? Where is it? Damn Fell, how am I supposed to decide what to wear if I have no idea who’s going?  
-R-E-L-A-X MAGNUS! The theme is Gangsters and bikers, it’s in this underground parking lot in The Bronx-(Ragnor always called it, The Bronx, giving it a special emphasis, Magnus had no idea why but it had been like that since, well, always)-Before you ask, it’s the parking lot so it emphasizes the hole biker/gangster thing. Camille is wearing her black dress, the tight little elastic one, strapless, high picked boots, her leather gloves from Italy and classic big waves. Smokey make up, but I guess everyone ’s wearing that and a Gucci leather jacket.  
-The long one or the one that only goes half way?  
-Halfway I think. Now, it’s concrete, Jordan is hosting and everyone friends with Bat is officially invited, the rest is just the usually VIP crew and some extras like the Fray girl, I think she’s friends with Bat’s girl and her mum is dating this mechanic. Her geek-tag-along will be there too and Raphael’s guys I guess along with some of Sebastian’s people. You can wear anything you want from my closet after I have picked out what to wear and you are welcome to shower here.  
-As much as I appreciate your offer, I don’t think I’ll make it to graduation if I have to wait for you to pick out an outfit and you have absolutely no nail-polish nor do you have make up. So I’m just gonna go home and arrive late.  
-The king is never late, everyone else is simply early.  
-Early indeed- And so Magnus went home hopping the reporters would be gone and of course, they weren’t.


	11. Bikers and gangsters

Standing in front of his extensive collection of combat boots Magnus wondered about what Ragnor had told him on his way out and decided to call Camille. She was the best out of the 3 of them at plotting.  
-What do you need Bane?  
-I assume you are already dressed and styled?  
-You assume correctly, but I believe you called for something else that doesn’t involve my current dressing arrangements.  
-What do you know about the Lightwoods?  
-I’ve not been bothered by any of them so I’m going t disappoint you and tell you I don’t even know theirs names.-Camille was cool, until you pissed her off. Then she went all Gossip Girl on you. Actually she put GG to shame, she was the fucking gossip god. She would leave you alone, but the moment you crossed her mind all your secrets came to life in Camille Belcourt’s world. And her world only featured her rules; Piss me off=die. So to anyone interested in her, look both ways before you cross her mind. Or just jump on the next play, fly to NASA and take the next rocket to the moon, stay there cultivating lettuce and never come back.  
-How long till you get me a full profile of the older one and just the usual about the other two?  
-15 minutes, I hope you know this will cost me a new dress for Helen’s trial.  
-Already started looking at sippers.

And just like that 15 minutes later, sharp, Cam was never late, ever.  
-Grab a pen and wrap it in a paper ball, put it in your mouth and do not interrupt. Jace is actually called Jonathan, 16, adopted twice, first family Wayland, second Lightwood, originally a Herondale. Head over heels for Clarissa Fray. Sarcastic to the bone, straight, smart but distracted, loved by all sexes, favorite movie Fast and Furious 3, reads quite a bit, listens to Green day and the sort, not a virgin, a complete clean freak, life of the party and afraid of ducks. Isabelle Lightwood, 16 turning 17 this fall, heartbreaker, not a virgin, never takes off her red ruby, may or may not have a crush on Simon Lewis, straight, listens to Fallujah and Enric Verdaguer, watches P&P, CSI, Castle and every other police related series, doesn’t read too much, but still smart, party queen, bitchy but sex on legs, open minded, sarcastic though not as much as Jace, really loved her family, overprotective when it comes to her older brother. Specking of witch; this will cost you a dress and pumps, he’s hard to get at. Full name is Alexander Gideon Lightwood, 18 probably 19 sometime February, gay, probably not a virgin either but no boyfriends/girlfriends known of in Manhattan, tattooed form head to toe, something changed in him when he got back from Spain, wears mostly black, from the way he acts probably as war e of his hotness as his siblings, too cool for school, doesn’t care about his nails, drives a black Mustang but picks his sibling up in a dark blue Lamborghini Aventador, or however you cal those expensive as fuck cars, worries over his sibling more than you over glitter, gets into fights, doesn’t own any pets, is into music, knows about Lewis’ band and there isn’t much more. He’s really mysterious, the kind of guy who talks but doesn’t say. I hate those people…  
-I know you do, but back to the too cool for school part, isn’t he suppose dot be still in school? Or colleague?  
-See that’s where things get twisted. I talked to Will, who talked to Tessa, who asked Maia, who went to Jules, who then told Bat, who got to Luke who runs the bar where Simon performs, who asked Kirk who slept with this guy’s girl, who then again asked Rebeca, Simon’s sister, who confirmed with Jem and Helen what Jia told her husband who teaches Jordan, who is a friend of my cousin’s client’s dog walker who knows Raphael who then told me Sebastian asked Clary who went to Enoch and then back to Valentine through Aline to me, that this Alexander dude isn’t smart or intelligent, this guy’s a fucking genius, he got some kind of special permission from the state not to go to school. The last classroom this guy has seen was a ninth grade gym.  
-Hm…He must be damn smart for our dear Obama to hand him a forever-hallway-pass.  
-Smart indeed, now are you ready or do I need to ask Ragnor to spill?  
-I don’t know which boots to wear  
-Goodbye Magnus.-And the line went dead, she always said goodbye, not bye or later or some street bullshit, Camille was from a rich family and had manners. She tried to hide it, but some things just stick.

 

A tornado, half a hurricane and 2 tsunamis through his closet later, Magus stood next to his friends dressed in tight (in the truest sense of the word) tattered black jeans, low waist of course, small combat boots, he really hated big, fat, compact shoes, a dark grey tank top, and his leather jacket, also tight. His hair was pushed up in the front and combed back in the back, it wasn't al that neat though, his mind was somewhere else, his make up smokey with a hint of green and his sunglasses sticking out left his back pocket.  
Camille just like Ragnor had described it, but it was Ragnor who looked the most fabulous. Magnus suspected he had been a gangster in his last life, that is if you believe in Buddhist culture and religion. He had this old black leather jacket with all these pins, not just any pins, he had collected them over time and on the back in white letters, hand painted he had “Live free, die strong comme des garçons”. It looked awesome over his back t-shirt and dark grey skinny jeans with old combat boots. His hair was all greased up and messy, dark makeup around his emerald eyes and a single black glove with the ring finger cut off. Magnus had never seen it before, but it looked awesome and being him he commented on it. It was fashion, no commenting was a crime.  
-Huh?  
-Yeah Fell, what’s with the glove? I mean, it looks really cool but where did ya get the idea? I always thought Magnus was the designer-she added with a laugh  
-Hey!-Magnus protested, he hated it when people stole his job, well, his talent or whatever. It felt like his job.  
-Relax Bane - Ragnor was already cracking up, he didn’t even need alcohol, he got high on happiness, or life itself.-Actually, this IS interesting, I had completely forgotten about it. Totally spaced, the brain is a strange creature isn’t it?…  
-Talk Fell, nobody cares about your brain philosophy.  
-Thing is, the other day I saw this Lightwood dude, the black haired one, wear exactly this glove and he pulled it off so casually I thought Damn! Magnus would love this and with all your fake murder shit I completely forgot, sorry man.  
-Hm…-He was about to add something else when 3 Harley Davidson bikes sped in. Headlights shining bright, driver kept in the dark, hidden behind silver helmets. Magnus counted 2 completely silver helmets, one black one with a silver stripe, a hot pink one and a black one with a golden eagle. The engines roared to a stop and just on cue Boulevard of Broken Dreams started to play. The world stopped for a moment. The hot ink helmet revealed Isabelle Lightwood, dressed all in leather and metal, the two silver ones revealed Simon Lewis and Clarissa Fray who was currently being escorted by the owner of the golden eagle black helmet’s owner, Jace Herondale/Wayland/Lightwood. Magnus turned his eyes to the remaining biker just in time to see him pull of his helmet and shake out his raven mane. His eyes where so fucking blue, how could they be so blue? Since when did DNA produce electric blue eyes? That couldn’t be natural. Just as fast as the helmet came off and he swung off his bike, Alexander Gideon Lightwood scanned the crowd, saw Magnus bit his under lip (so sexy…focus Bane, focus!) and then he made his way towards them, or that was what Magnus thought until he passed by Camille and fist/chest bumped Bat.  
-How those he know Bat?-Ragnor spoke what Magnus thought, and Camille answered, like always. She was a walking wikipedia on people.  
-Raphael Santiago, wait where is he?-And just like that the blue orbs where once again lost in the darkness of the garage.


	12. Chapter 12

Izzy POV:

-So this is the legendary Bane?-I eyed the guy Maia had made out to be the king of fashion, sure he was tall and skinny, but kind of curvy and well, sexy. But his outfit wasn’t what she had expected, it was cool and suited him (or what she had seen of him) but there was something missing.  
-The very only one, a pleasure to meet you.-As bane flashed her a VERY white smile, not a single crooked tooth. Wow, he actually was kind of stunning, and that was a shame, as I only went out with less stunning people than me. Sorry Bane.  
-You sure live up to your expectations  
-Indeed I do, but then again, who doesn’t live up to their own expectations.-The grin never left his face, why was this guy so damn happy? From what I had read in his file his life had been beyond miserable, but then again that was 6 years ago. People change I guess. They change indeed.  
-Own expectation?  
-Of course my dear, I don’t do this-pointing at his outfit-for your entertainment.  
We laughed and joked around a little more before I decided to find out why this guy was so interested in Alec.  
-So, I heard you are asking around about my brother? Anything I could help you with? Because you sure would make a cute couple.-Magnus laughed but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.  
-I would be deeply concerned if any of my relationships wasn’t cute, but you can help me actually. But could we go upstairs my ears are about to fall off.  
-Mine have already committed suicide, but sure.  
We walked up the emergency staircase as the elevator was packed and I watched Magnus slowly tense up.


	13. Chapter 13

They were standing with their backs against a building, red cup in hand listening to the bass below them. Magnus pushed himself off the wall and stood in front of Izzy and looked her in the eye. Searching for something, anything. But there was either too much or there wasn’t anything at all. Dark eyes, nearly black. It was strange how in one family all three kids were so different. 

-What are you?  
-Excuse me?-She acted surprised but one serious look from Magnus to show that he wasn’t flirting and he saw the realization in her eyes.  
-What do you know?  
-Enough to know you aren't a random 16 teenage girl interested in nail polish and abs.-When she stayed silent Magnus went on - Enough to know that it’s not the first time you have lived in NY, I know Murphy Cruz de la Vega is intact your brother and actually named Alexander Lightwood. I know something changed inside him when he came back from Spain. I know things have been rough between you and your siblings. I know Raphael, or as you might know him, Rafael, is involved in your business. I know you are friends with Bat’s crew, and not just hallway friends. I know your brother has special permission from the state not to go to school. I know he is gay, but you and Jonathan are straight. I witnessed murder. A murder committed by your brother and covered up like a scene of MIB. And I’m not the only one who knows.  
Isabelle seemed to consider for a moment, then she decided.  
-Let’s find Alec.-That said she pushed off the wall as well and marched off into the darkness. Magnus followed her as an icy wind picked up and crawled under his leather.


	14. Chapter 14

-Damn Alec, can’t you for once answer your phone?-The tall dark eyes girl cursed as she hung up for the seventh time. Jace stood beside her running his hands through his hair for the hundredth time while Magnus… well Magnus had no idea what to do or think. Why was it such a big deal, he had offered to talk about this on Monday, it wasn’t that important after all. He didn’t want to cause such a panic between Alec’s (why Alec and not Alex?) siblings.  
-It okay, we can talk some other time.  
-No it’s not.  
-Look, he clearly doesn’t want to be bothered and it’s not like I’m gonna die if I don’t find out what you people are right now.  
-Damn it Bane! That’s exactly the point, you ARE gonna die. By the Angel Iz! We said we wouldn’t get pulled back in!  
-Well, we didn’t Alec did!  
-In to what?  
-That is the thing, once you are in there is no way out and you get pulled under far to easily. And by the looks of what you’ve told us Magnus, you are right in the middle of things…  
-YES-Magnus and Jace both spun around and looked at Izzy who was performing a peculiar victory dance while talking on the phone a few feet away. Then the 10 second long dance needed and her face twisted into an ugly mask. Magnus sincerely pitted whoever was on the other end of the line  
-What?-Jace mouthed SPEAKER and his sister pressed a button and a deep smokey accented voice came through the line.  
-…must have left it here.  
-When?  
-Last time he came over, it must have fallen under the bed or something.  
-And what was the last time he came over?-you could tell she was getting annoyed with this dude.   
-Friday I think  
-On Friday he was on a plane-Izzy stated flatly  
-Huh? No, not Friday 23, I meant Friday the 9th.  
-Two weeks ago? You mean you live in Barcelona?  
-Sevilla actually, but close guess.-You cold hear the smile in the guy’s voice, Magnus immediately liked the voice and now he could picture him, sitting on his bedroom floor infant of his bed, legs crossed and smiling to himself. Thinking about what a strange place the world was.  
-And who are you exactly?  
-Pablo, and who are you?  
-Alec’s sister. Did you sleep with my brother?  
-Me?-a huge laugh followed and Magnus could imagine this guy throwing his head back in laughter, white teeth flashing and tears prickling in his eyes.-I’m Emir’s cousin-he said as if that would clear up everything.  
-Who the fuck is Emir?  
A strange silence followed the question.  
-You don’t know Emir?  
-No, who is he?  
-Alex didn't told you?  
-It’s Alec with a C, and no he hasn’t. Who is he? Tell me  
-I think if Alex didn’t want you to know, it’s better if it stays that way  
-NO! It’s just that we can’t find Alec and we need to know who Emir is. It’s serious and my brother could be in trouble. Help us please.  
-Alex is in trouble?  
-Yes, now tell me, please  
-I’m not sure how that is possible, but Emir and your brother dated for about three years, they were getting engaged-he didn’t get t say anything else as Izzy interrupted him and Jace coughed as if he had been chocked.  
-ENGAGED?!  
-Yeah, believe me, I was really surprised he didn’t tell you. Specially after coming out to his family and everything, I thought he would announce it too.  
-He came out?-You could hear the disbelief in her and Jace’s voice from a mile away as they both echoed their surprise in unition. Maybe these sibling were more alike than Magnus had thought.  
-Yeah, they, Emir and Alex I mean, they flew over to England to tell his parents first and I never heard from them again, not since the accident. A tragedy…- And now the sadness in paulo’s voice was the one you could hear from a mile away  
-What accident?  
-The plane crash? No survivors, you didn’t know?  
-No! When did all this happen?  
-Who did you say you were again?-He was getting suspicious  
-Isabelle, his sister  
-Right…Are you the pretty one with the long black hair?  
-Yeah…  
-I’m sorry-and just like that he hung up.

-What the actual fuck?Alec engaged?  
-Forget the engagement! He came out to mum and dad?!  
-WHo cares about them, what plane crash? If there were no survivors, why he hell is Alec alive?  
-Because he never made it past boarding-A smooth voice came from behind them. Raphael/Rafael. Of course.  
-That does make sense, doesn’t it?-Magnus was confused, utterly confused out of his mind. But somehow things did make sense.  
-Ho the fuck does that make sense Bane?  
-They met in Spain, fell in love, got engaged, went to tell his parents, then back to Spain to get married, Alec didn’t board the plane, the plane crashed, Emir died, Alec never told you because it didn’t matter anymore.  
-How could it not matter?-Jace was boiling, there was literally steam coming out his ears. Raphael/Rafael, surprisingly, took Magnus’ side  
-See Jace, you have to think like your brother. Like the guy who won’t do something just because he can. The one who will only do productive things. There are many upsides to being intelligent, but it isn’t all pros. See, for you it would make sense to tell, but to Alec it doesn’t. Emir is dead, his parents don’t even live in the same country as him, nothing happened. So there is nothing to tell, nothing productive would come from telling you. You would just worry and pity him, which then take your focus off your studies, which gets you bad grades, which means your get suspended, which means you won’t go to college and get a good job. Which in the end is just bad for you, for him, for your parents and bad for society in general. And besides, stop being so selfish will you? It most likely is not a pleasant sensation to lose the guy he was going to marry and then leave his whole life behind to come to a city he never like din the first place.-Magnus had never thought of Raphael/Rafael as the sensitive kind, but here he was, defending Alec’s feelings. Could Magnus call him that? Alec? Or was that just for family and friends?

-Fuck you Santiago.-Jace proceeded to kick some car parked near them, Izzy was starring off into the distance and Raphael/Rafael wandered off into the parking lot, his job was apparently done.  
-Iz! I saw your innocent, vulnerable big bro sucking Shettan’s soul out of him on the other side of the building by the way.  
-WHAT?  
-Let’s go  
And the three of them walked off to the other side of the building and there, just like Raphael/Rafael had said, was Alexander kissing “Shettan”. A guy Magnus had never seen before. Tall, raven thick tousled black hair, tall, great biceps (Focus Bane, focus!), dark hoodie, grey ripped old skinny jeans, and the rest of him was hidden by Alec. Who by the way was kissing this guy, well, like he was sucking his should out of him. But to Lightwood’s defense, the other boy was kissing him back just as passionately. As Magnus’ eyes traveled down we noticed one of Shettan’s legs between Alec’s, their hips were moving in unition against each other and somehow Magnus knew both of them had a boner. He felt something strange in his chest. He was bisexual and probably the furthest thing from homophobic possible, but it was somehow disturbing to watch Alec kiss someone else. Wait what?  
-Now this is interesting…  
-Indeed it is Isabelle-And before Magnus could blink Jace’s fist was in Shettan’s face and Izzy on Alec pulling him away.  
-Que chingados?!-Shettan’s voice came out half outraged half hurt, Jace was a good puncher, Magnus had to give him that.  
-Leave him alone Jace!-Alec was nowhere near trembling or hurt, he was angry, plain anger was visible on his features. Then there was confusion making it’s way over the blue eyed boy’s face. Magnus would be confused too if suddenly someone punched his date out of the blue, and while they were making out!  
-Beat it Shettan!  
-Wh…?-And Jace swung again, but this time Alec pulled sheets out of the way and circled the guy’s waist with his arm, while with the other he inspected his cheek. Magnus got a glimpse of his eyes, there was genuine worry in them. He found himself wishing to be in the raven colored guy’s place.  
-Lo siento…Duele?  
-Na…- And a small shy smile started to play on the other boy’s face, Alec started mirroring it as he guided the guy away.  
-Alec!  
-5 minutes-was his only response as he and his boyfriend? walked away.  
-Damn Alec…Alway such a gentleman… - Jace half laughed half cursed.  
Izzy grinned along and when they noticed Magnus didn’t get it they started to laugh even harder. What was going on?  
-Magnus-Izzy brought out in between laughs-he didn’t even like the guy!  
-But he just…- How could that have been fake?  
-If he had really liked him, then he would have tried to beat me up for hitting him - Jace found this so funny he doubled over with laughter. Well, it was strange Alec didn’t hit back, if Magnus had been in Shettan’s place he would have expected his boyfriend to defend him.


	15. Chapter 15

And just like predicted, well not really, but 5 minutes and half an hour later, Alec showed up. Sex was the first thing that came to Magnus’ mind. Nobody looked so alive and reed (this guy was seriously blushing) from walking someone to their car.  
-Was it good?-Izzy must have been thinking the same thing.  
-Let’s not talk about my sex life and actually do something productive, shall we?  
-We shall.-And they walked over to their bikes, Magnus ended up sitting behind Alec, (Izzy might have had something to do with that)and even though Magnus didn’t complain, he wasn’t all that comfortable either.  
-If you don’t want to fly off and end as a red spot on the pavement you should hold on pretty damn well Bane.-And turning his head around and smirking at him-I don’t bite, not on the first date at least.-And the engine roared to life as Magnus wondered what the heck that had just been. The bike took off and without second thoughts he circled Alec’s body with his arms and held on for dear life. These Lightwoods didn’t just drive bikes, they rode them like a freaking rodeo as they raced through the city under the neon lights, the stars of New York.

Finally, after 6 near death experiences Magnus got off that demonic motorcycle and took a deep breath. Where were they? This wasn’t Chelsea, this wasn’t a loft. This was a huge mansion in the middle of nowhere. Just as he realized they hadn’t worn helmets a small white fur ball came running towards him.  
-Chairman miau?  
-Ah yeah, I found your cat.


	16. Chapter 16

Jace and Isabelle looked at the house, well mansion, actually palace, rising before them. Magnus got the feeling they had no idea this place existed. He found himself a little intimidated by all this, he was not only shaken because of the ride there, or the “shit” he had witnessed only 5 hours ago, or the odd feeling he had gotten when Alec kissed that guy, or how he had felt a little excited when he had told him he wouldn’t bite on the first date, date? It wasn’t a date, but Alec sure was something. Magnus was no fool, he knew the feeling the moment it first made its appearance inside his chest, he had a crush on the eldest Lightwood. Or at least he was developing one. But this made it all the more unsettling. How come his siblings had no idea he had gotten engaged? Or come out for that matter. In fact, it looked like they knew as little as Magnus, maybe less.

Alec was a good way ahead of them unlocking the front door and walking in, completely unfazed by the hugeness of the building. Hell, he lived here, of course he was used to it. The other three hurried behind, just as that icy wind started to pick up again.

-Hey wait up man!  
-Just make yourself at home Jace, it’s your house too, after all.  
-Excuse me?  
-I just gotta make a few phone calls and I’ll be right with you. You too Magnus, kick off your shoes and maybe explore the kitchen. You sure look starved.-he added with a crooked smile before disappearing into a fancy wooden elevator, Magnus thought was a closet. Who the hell had an elevator in the closet?

-Fuck food, I wanna know who else lives here.-Jace said  
-Or lived-Magnus added, he couldn’t help but imagine Alec and Emir sitting infant of a fire place or walking around in the garden hand in hand, stopping to steal a kiss once in a while. Magnus couldn’t quite picture Emir, just feel him, if that made sense. This guy was warm, somehow colorful…and really funny. Yeah, he would make Alec laugh and Alec would make him moan. Okay, time to stop that train of thoughts. And actually look up, as he had been wandering behind Izzy, lost in thoughts. They where in some kind of huge library, books lined the walls from top to bottom. There were a couple of lathers with small white wheels attached to the bookshelves. But it wasn’t just lathers, there where staircases that led to different levels of the library, to hallways within and rooms with doors 40 feet from the ground. The ceiling was so far up, Magnus wasn’t sure he could actually see it or if it was just another level, or another book shelve. Windows went from the floor to the ceiling, so far up you could see the moon, which was full by the way. And the waves crashing into a small bay, wait waves?  
-Iz, you want to see this.  
-Huh?-the tall dark yes girl walked over, a letter in one hand and a bunch of files in the other. She looked lost, probably not as lost as Magnus, but still lost. The sight in front of her, however, made her mouth fall open in awe, forming a small O, her eyes widened and Magnus noticed stye where dark brown, not black. You just needed the right light. You need the right light for so many things.  
-Wow…I love how the moon reflects on the water, god…How come I never heard of this place?  
-Not to ruin your moment of enlightenment or anything, but for the ocean to be there, how far from the city are we exactly?-The obnoxious voice of Rapunsel spoke behind them.  
-Hm…- Magnus was completely absorbed by the view. There even was a huge piano on one of the cliffs, it was…breathtaking.  
-Forget the ocean, look at these letters, they are from the Verlacs.  
-Verlacs? I thought they had been cut off years ago, with the hole Sebastian thing. They must be old or something.  
-But they aren’t, look at the date-Izzy pointed at the top corner, where in fact it said 4th-04-2015.-This wasn’t even two weeks ago! The Verlacs went out two years ago.  
-Yeah, no actually, yeah.  
-And look at these files, these are resent cases. Cases from people at school are here too.  
-It could be a lake-magus had no idea what the were talking about and since nobody tried to clear things up for him, he might as well admire the moon. Who played that piano?  
-What are you talking about?-Jace sounded really irritated.  
-As a matter of fact it is. A lake, that is.  
-Alec!-They all jumped as he walked into the room, running his hands through his hair (must be a family habit).  
-What is this place Alec?  
Alec just smiled and walked over to them  
-No, no way, Alexander Gideon Lightwood don’t you dare smile and act like you have everything under control. Do not jackass-as us. Speak now.-Izzy sounded determined to get to the bottom of this.  
-I wish I could, but unless you want me to miss a very serious appointment, you’ll have to excuse me for a couple hours.  
-What kind of appointment?-Magnus inquired  
-A serious one Bane, what is he still doing here anyway?-damn, Jace was frustrating. Magnus felt like he could punch him right there, in the middle of his stupid angel face.  
-Sorry for asking and if you don’t mind me adding, I didn’t want to come here in first place.  
-Well then it’s a shame cabs don’t drive all the way up here. I’m sorry Magnus, but you shall stay and be our guest.-That said Alec tuned on his heels and walked out, shrugging his jacket on as he exited the library, which by the way but the central library to shame. But who needed this many books? He was quite a bookworm himself, but these many?

Time passed slowly and Magnus’ eyes became heavy, so before he knew it he was sliding down the wall in some hallway, somewhere in the building, somewhere in Manhattan.  
-Sorry to wake you Magnus, but I really need to pee.  
-Hmm…?-A gentle hand touched his shoulder and the metallic smell of blood woke Magnus from his slumber in the hallway. His eyes widened as he took in the man standing in front of him. Alec, covered in blood, an urgent look on his face, and talking about his face, there was a long gash on his left cheek and an ugly bruise on his forehead. He must have seen the horror in his eyes because he added  
-It’s not all mine, but I do need to pee. And get cleaned up, but first things first and unless you want me to pee here in the hall…  
-Uh, yeah yeah-And Magnus groggily stood up, realizing he had been curled up on the floor in front of what apparently was the bathroom. He moved to the side and tried to remember how he had gotten here.  
-Third turn on the left, two rights, the elevator and to the second floor. Izzy and Jace will be easy to fins. Or heard for the matter. I’m just gonna pee, shower, patch up, change and I’ll be there-The white door closed and the unmistakable sound of pee hitting marble cam from the inside of the bathroom. Now Magnus wasn’t going to stand around in the hallway listening to a urine symphony so he walked back the way Alec had told him. And sure enough, he heard Izzy shouting at Jace from about 300 feet away.

-Bane! Have you seen Alec?  
-Yeah, he just went into the bathroom. He said, and I quote; “pee, shower, patch up, change and come down”.  
-Are you sure he said shower?  
-Yes  
-Good, good…  
-Why is it so good that he showers, I mean it’s important and all, but…  
-Yeah I know what you are getting at, it’s just that there are tow types of people in this world, the long showerers and the short showerers our big bro takes the long ones, those showers that give you time to grow a rain forest, cook 5 meals, read the entire library, marry, have 3 children and die 4 times.  
-Oh-Magnus had no idea what to do with this, but it was kind of funny watching the Lightwoods in their natural habitat.  
-I mean, he showers longer than Jace, me and the entire population of Brooklyn together!-They cracked up and started joking around, making up theories to explain what Alec did in the shower, most of them ended up in Narnia or a secret society meeting under the bathtub. This wen ton for hours until finally a raspy, tired but humored voice came to their ears.  
-I see you have bonded-They all turned around to see Alec walk into the room, without all the leather and glamour he looked pretty normal, at least as normal as a human canvas goes.  
-Hey bug bro.-Izzy and Jace shared a troubled glance and Magnus noticed it a second later. He wasn’t the confident jackass from school, nor was he the dark romantic from he garage. His shoulders slumped, his step wasn’t as firm as it had once been, the light in his eyes had died, his hair was down, bangs falling in his face, covering his eyes. He wore simple grey baggy jeans and a back tank top. His tattoos though. Magnus had never gotten to see that many of them, his arms where ink, his neck was covered in color, so where his hands (without goes this time). Even his bare feet were covered in clockwork, did they actually shine in the dark?  
He slumped into this huge armchair and brought his knees up to his chest, circled them with his arms and buried his head in them. He was literally folding into the chair. Something had changed.


	17. Who's Emir?

-Are you all right?-Jace sounded, wow, he sounded like a non-asshole!  
-Yeah, just a minute, if that’s okay with you.  
-Of course-They sat down, Izzy and Magnus on the couch, Jace on the other armchair, they waited for what seemed like an hour, then Alec’s head emerged from his knees and he curled out office little ball, feet still up on the chair, but back a little straighter. Izzy took this as a sign to go on.  
-So who was Emir?  
-He’s dead-Alec sounded broken and Magnus wanted so badly to just go there and hug him, hug him the way Alec had hugged Magnus back then. To make his pieces fit back together again.  
-I know, but who was he?  
-He’s dead  
-Alec, please tell us - Jace tried this time  
-There is nothing to tell  
-Yes there is  
-He’s dead  
-But you were in love with him  
-And now he’s dead  
-Tell us about him, what made him special  
-He’s dead  
-What was his story?  
-He’s dead, his story died with him  
-Damn it Alec!-Magnus noticed Izzy was always the first one to lose her patience, she jumped up, then sat back down, did the legendary run-hands-through-hair and looked at her brother, really looked at him. The back at Jace, her stare pleading for help.  
-Look Alec, we want to understand you, we care about you and we would really like to know about your life. About who you were planning to spend it with.  
-He’s dead.  
-But he hasn’t always been, how did he live? What was he like?  
-He’s dead  
-What was his favorite color?  
-He’s dead  
-Come on Alec, please just tell us one thing about him, just one thing.  
-He’s dead  
-Something that isn’t he’s dead.  
-He is dead  
-By the angel! Just show us picture!  
-He’s dead

Jace’s head fell into his hands and you could see him trembling, from rage Magnus supposed. He remembered how Raphael/Rafael had told them Alec wouldn’t do anything unless it was practical, unless it mattered.  
-Alec?-Alec’s head, which had sunken back into his knees came up a little at the change of voice.  
-What?  
-Do you care about your siblings?  
-Of course I do.-He looked confused, Izzy and Jace looked as confused as their brother, but Magnus kept going.  
-Do you care about their future?  
-Yes, but why are you asking me this?  
-Because I have the feeling they won’t leave this house unless you tell them who Emir was. Which would lead to a suspension and if I’m correct your brother already got 2, making the third one a temporary expulsion, of which he already got 1, meaning if he got another one he would be just one step away from getting expelled for good. And this his senior year, so it would be written on his college application, which isn’t good, no good colleges want expelled kids. So if you acre about Jace’s future education, you should tell him.

Silence followed Magnus’ long speech. Isabelle looked at him with a certain admiration, Jace probably saw him for the first time and Alec watched him closely as if he was a lab rat or something.  
-He liked turquoise-his voice trembled and cracked at the end, but he talked non the less.  
Jace’s head snapped to attention. Alec dug his hand into his back pocket and took out a picture, he looked at it for a while before passing it to Izzy. He had a little trouble letting go of it, but eventually Izzy sat back down and showed it Magnus and Jace who had stood up and was now leaning over them. The picture showed a boy about Alec’s age, maybe a year or two younger. Blue grey eyes, they looked…alive. Brown hair, pushed up in the front and shorter on the sides. His mouth was open, probably singing something, white teeth showing and a piercing on his bottom lip. Another one in his nose and an earring. He had soft but elegant features, his skin was a shade or two darker than Alec’s and he had tattoos running up and down his arm. A red seven with a crown, some quotes, random shapes that intertwined with pictures and letters. He was holding microphone, one of those with the stick, his gaze was lost, but found.Probably looking at the crowd or at Alec. He too wore a black glove with the ring finger missing. He was handsome, not in the prince kind of handsome way, but more int the young and alive handsome way.  
-He was looks…alive - Izzy said.  
-Yeah, he was always awake. - They all looked up at Alec as Jace handed back the picture.  
-What was the band’s name?  
-Control Pacifico.-He smiled while he remembered something. Izzy looked like she wished he would go on, and Magnus suspected he looked just like her.  
-Where did you first meet?  
-At that concert actually. I was staying at this hotel right next to the beach with his sister Vicky and she mentioned the band once or twice so when I heard about the concert I dragged her there-a short soft laugh followed, the kind of laugh that is more like a breath than a laugh-She protested so much, but I really wanted to meet her brother. She was so funny, not smart, but funny as hell. So I figured the rest of the family had to be just as amazing. I had already met her cousins, Pablo, Andrea and Joaquín, her boyfriend was really cool too. And her grandma - His gaze wandered and another one of those breath/laughs escaped his pink lips-That was one hell of a woman…- He got lost in thoughts and when it looked like he wasn’t getting off his train of thoughts Magnus decided to push him off.  
-So the concert…?  
-Ah right, the concert. We arrived late, we actually missed the whole thing and they were already packing up. I was disappointed. I must be damn easy to read because this guy came up to me and asked if he could do anything for me and my crew, we were there with some friends, and Vicky just wanted to leave but I really wanted to watch them perform so I asked this guy whether he could do one last song for us. He said he wouldn’t sing for us, but he would for me.-Alec blushed and breth/laughed, wait, was he blushing? Badass Lightwood a blushing mess, but then again, this wasn’t the same Alexander everyone else knew.-See, the band had already left, so Vicky and I sat at the piano and he sung. This is gospel, by PATD. It then turned out he was Vicky’s brother’s friend, they didn’t get along that well, more like frenemies, so obviously she wanted to leave right away. I ended staying a while longer, helping put away all the equipment. You wouldn’t believe how many cables and speakers one band uses, there were hundreds of thousands of cables, more cables than books in the town library - A content smile played on his lips as he remembered it, he closed his eyes for a beat and then went on. - That night I got my first tattoo. It was this dancing Mexican skeleton with a hat on.  
-So that was Emir?  
-Huh?  
-The singer from Control Pacifico, that was Emir?  
-No,but it really doesn’t matter. He’s dead.-And back under went his head as a small sob escaped his lips. Izzy was on her feet the moment the sound escaped her brother’s lips but he refused her hug, she looked so hurt. Magus would hug him himself, but he didn’t think it would be welcome. He was a stranger. “No one but family allowed”, “Just family”, “Nobody outside the family” those words kept hunting his dreams, for 12 years he had struggled with them.  
-It matters, it does to us.-Jace’s voice interrupted Magnus and prevented him from taking a walk down the nightmare/memory lane.  
-He’s dead-Alec sober into his jeans, small shakes rattled his frame and this time it wasn’t an excuse, it was a cruel, hard, cold realization. Emir.Was.Dead.  
-Please  
-He isn’t coming back Jace! Why do you…  
And then thunder interrupted Alec, lightning struck and a huge flame came into view through the last window on the left. Izzy jumped up, Magnus watched Alec as he stood up and in two steps was by the phone. Jace just looked at the flames. Mesmerized.


	18. Firefighters and phone calls

-Thanks Cooper.  
-Take care of yourself Private.Gideon!  
Alec shook hands with a couple more fire men, hugged a couple of female firefighters, smoked a cigarette with this stocky african guy, shook a couple more hands and then walked back to the house, not before glancing up at the huge terrace where Magnus and Izzy stood, smiled and gave a small wave, before disappearing into the house.  
-Do you know them? Does this happen that often?  
-Not really  
-Why do you know them, and who was the African dude?  
-We met about a year ago in Tijuana, there was this movement against the mafia and stuff like that, Loui was really into that stuff so we went down there and met the hole fire crew. Imamu, that’s the African guy, he’s amazing with card tricks. Well, cards in general, you won’t win a single poker game against him.  
-Hm…- Just as Magnus thought Alec would go on, the phone rang. What was with all these phone calls and interruptions?  
-I have to take this, sorry.-Alec apologized and picked up the phone. He was standing by the his desk, scribbling something down in a notebook. Soon he was sitting behind the huge oak desk covered in papers, files and folders.  
-Ja…Viele…Fünf sind nicht genug…Nein…Ich verstehe…Natürlich…Am Sontag wäre es gut…danke…Mache ich..Tschüs.-  
He hung up-Stupid Marcus, he cursed under his breath as he picked up the phone again to call the next guy.  
-This is Alexander Lightwood…Good thanks…the german shipper just called, the-he looked back at Izzy, Jace and Magnus-“Ware” just arrived in Puerto Rico…53 black, 76 latinos…22 white…I understand…Always a pleasure…Goodbye Mr.Morati.  
Once again he hung up, scribbled something down and dialed again.  
-Rafael…Sí…Morales y el alemán…151 en total sin contar el personal…posiblemente…hazle llegar el precio…Sí…gracias hombre…Adiós-  
He scribbled something down again and this went on and on, calling, talking, writing and calling again. Izzy left 2 and a half hours into it. Jace decided to take e look at the kitchen. Magnus, however, stayed put. He would wait for Alec.


	19. Chapter 19

-Is he finished yet?-Izzy whispered to Magnus who sat on the couch reading some big, fat, _nasty_ looking book. Without pictures she guessed. Nothing for her, she smirked at the thought remembering a time when Alec would read books to her, thousands of them, so she would know what the business interviewers were talking about.

-Nop, what time is it?

-I have no idea, take a cookie.- And Magnus made the mistake of blindly trusting Isabelle Lightwoods cooking skills.

-DON'T!-Both of their heads snapped up at the sudden intervention of Alec int heir conversation. Izzy's big bro looked like a, well there isn't really any other way to put it, like a small Robert. Absorbed in his work, messy hair, pencil behind his left ear, rolled up sleeves, one hand on the phone's speaker so the other person behind the line wouldn't hear, the other running through his hair. He sat in a sea of paper and ink. The only thing marking him as different from his father were the tattoos covering _every_ inch of his body. And was that a piercing hole? WTF?

-Why?

-If you appreciate your stomach's well being, do not ever eat anything cooked by my sister. Ever.-carefully Magnus put the cookie back ignoring Izzy's fake pouting.

-Listen Aislin, I gotta go meet someone, but if you could just hold onto Jaden for a while longer, that would be great...I don't think you understand, you either hold onto the kid, or he ends up with the bane foundation...Glad we understand each other...of course ma'am...good evening to you too.-He hung up to meet Kizzy's and Magnus' questioning looks.

-I'll explain later, I gotta meet someone.

-Alec!

-I'm sorry Iz! This is important!

-No it isn't! We are important, you are important and Magnus is important! Stop making excuses!

-Excuse?

-Yes excuses, you won't tell us about your life! You won't speak with us about ours! You won't give a damn about anything!

-Right-he clicked his tongue, looked up and to the left then back at Magnus.

-What do you think?

-I'm not sure, but it would certainly help if you told us the nature of this meeting.

-See Iz, this is a productive conversation, not a "lets-scream-at-Alec-and-insult-him-for-no-reason" shit.

-The for God's sake tell me, tell us about how important this is. What's more important than your family?

 


	20. Stranger, weird, freaky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the song at Olivia's party is Thank You by MKTO

-Olivia Vortex, 19. Has been institutionalized for 5 years, she checked out 6 days ago. Her birthday is tomorrow, well actually today.-he said glancing at his watch-and there are some arrangements that out to be made.-Apparently that was the explanation, this Olivia characters tuning 20 and Alec needed to organize her birthday?  
-And you need to be there?  
-Yes.  
-What kind of arrangement?  
-Jeez Izzy, just arrangement!  
-Look Alec, if you can’t even be honest with us about some chicks birthday, how do you expect us to compromise?  
-Compromise? I don’t see any reason why I should tell you about my work, thoughts, life, friends or feelings. But if there is a reason, please don’t reframe from enlightening me.  
-Because we are a family. Because you are my big brother and I care abut you! -You sure cared about your big brother on Thursday night, or should I say morning?  
-Just let go of that already Alec…- the annoyance in her voice was clear, but she could just not understand why Alec wouldn’t live, have fun. Just let go. Now she understood, well, a little. But she wanted to fully understand the mystery her big brother was.

-You don’t get it, do you? It’s not just Thursdays night, it’s Friday , Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night too! And who is the one who has to get you out of wherever you are? Who has to wait for hours on end for you to stumble out of some party shit faced just to be insulted and criticized? Who has to sober you up? Who has to buy tons of aspirins? Who has to clean your puke of the damn floor every night? Who has to play the fucking babysitter 7 nights a week? Who has to spend his nights sitting in his car outside some frat house? Who had to quit school because his parents wouldn’t leave his siblings out of their shit? Who has to work 10 hours a day to pay off some stupid apartment in Chelsea just so his sibling won’t mess up business? Who has to deal with all your messes? Who has to constantly lie to the school, to the state, to their parents, to their friends? Who has to pretend to be a jerk so his little sister gets invited to the cool girls’ sleep overs? Who has to take care of the coach’s baby so his brother gets into the football team despite his shitty grades? Tell me Isabelle, who has to do all this shit just to have it all thrown into their face? Because I know who and I know this person is beyond unhappy, and does not understand why suddenly, after 3 years of being ignored by his family, suddenly has to be question by them, why? Because the care? Because they are my family? No. It doesn’t work like that. You can’t just ignore me for 3 fucking years and them come back expecting everything to be like it was 6 years ago? It hurt Izzy, it really did. Not a single phone call, letter, not even a text. I made up stories about you guys, I even told them sometimes when I got asked bout my family. Because guess what, I had no idea of where my family was! I called, texted, e-mailed so many times, but nobody would answer. When I called to tell you I was getting engaged, I was exited. But of course, no one picked up. I should have known, but it still hurt Izzy, it still hurts. And do you know what hurts the most? You wanting to know he was, when you didn’t give a damn about is. You know Izzy, I always knew I would forgive you and Jace for not calling back, for not caring, because I thought things could wait, the time would come.-and sadly shaking his head-but that time passed, and now it’s too late. He’s dead, and I’m here. The only thing I ever wanted to do was help, I wanted to help Vicky, but cancer beat me, I wanted to help mum, but she stopped me, I wanted to help Magnus, but I was send away before I could, I wanted to help you, but you pushed me away, I wanted I wanted to help Jace, but he shut me out, I wanted to help Emir, but got him killed instead, I wanted to help Max, but I was too late, and now I want to help Olivia and for once I can, don’t take this away from me. Not now-and with those words he pushed past a crying black haired girl and a once skinny kid with a big dream, but now a skinny teen with a huge burden. He wished Alec knew just how much he had helped him.  
-Out of the way Herondale  
-What…ouch! What the fuck man? What’s wring with him?  
-I…I do…don’t know!-Izzy broke into a sobbing mess, Jace was by her side in a second, took one look at Magus: beat it Bane, it said. So Magnus did. He walked out, run down the hallway and caught up to Alec just as the other boy was getting into his black Mustang.  
-Wait up!  
-I seriously need to get going Magnus-he sounded tired and he sure looked the part.  
-Can I come with?  
Alec seemed to contemplate the option for a second, Magnus himself wasn’t sure why Alec would let him come along, or why he wanted to, but after a while the blue eyed Lightwood nodded his head.  
-You’ll have to ride in the back, Reid is sitting in the front as he’ll get smashed in the back. Oh, and we gotta pick someone up along the way.-Magnus got in and got a better look at this Reid guy, who turned out to be a black electric guitar. What?  
-You named your guitar after a Criminal Minds character?  
-Well yeah-he replied as if this was the most normal thing in the world. A moment passed and he seemed to notice it wasn’t in fact the most normal name for a guitar.-Aline and I used to watch Criminal Minds all the time, Dr. Reid is our favorite. We had this annual CM anniversary were we watched all the best Spencer Reid episodes, but then she moved to Iceland with her girlfriend Helen and I went to Spain. We still watched CM on the Reid anniversary over Skype and it’s about a week after christmas, so we were watching and Pablo stormed in with this huge pink box with the biggest smile on his face I had ever seen. And that is something big, he won’t stop smiling all day.-Alec laughed as he drove and Magnus found himself grinning along. There was a way Alec told his stories, Magnus could feel them through him, all the smiles, the tears, the kisses, he could feel everything through Alec’s enthusiasm. It was strange though how he didn’t talk like this to his sister nor to his brother.  
-So he stormed in, he’s a huge guy, dark skin, deep voice, and this laugh you’ll hear from miles away. First he tripped over the cable, knocked over this horrendous vase Lurdes insisted on putting in my room to keep bad spirits away, I’m pretty sure she meant Emir when she said Satan.-Another laugh/sigh-then after this ugly vase falls and breaks he turns around to pick it up, forgetting he has this huge pink thing in his hands, he turns around and the far end of the box hits a painting which then falls onto my stereo and hits the power button-he starts laughing so hard, remembering the moment, that the car starts making S shapes. Thank God nobody drives around…well wherever they were…at 2am. He gets a grab on himself and brings his the back of his hand up to his eyes to dry the tears.-See, the stereo was coaxed to my MacBook so suddenly Alines voice commenting on Dr.Reid’s sexy fantabulous gloriously shaped ass echoes through the hole house!-And now Magnus cracked up too, doubling over in the back seat. Alec pulled over. It took them 10 hole minutes to stop laughing ad get back on the road. Magnus told Alec about the time he and Ragnor found out the maths teacher worked at a porn shop. They were there on a beat they lost. Ragnor had to get into one oh those glass rooms were the “models” dance in for people to watch, and you could imagine his surprise when he needed up locked in a glass box with his Maths teacher dressed in neon yellow underwear and feathers. Before they knew it they were on the upper east side, in front of this huge skyscraper. Moment later the cars door opened and a tall, brown girl with brownish blond hair jumped in. Her eyes were caramel colored with a dark brown ring on the outside an a golden star surrounding her pupils. She was really pretty, beautiful actually, Magnus was about tot say hello when hug blue iced cake was shoved into his hands and the girl right behind. Then another girl got in, she looked exactly like the first one, except for her hair, which was rather orange/red and styled in long waves. She had three huge colorful bags on her lap and a pair of wooden sticks in one hand and used the other hand to pull shut the door and call: GO-GO-GO! Alec sped off took a sharp right turn and then the shouting began.  
-What is it private?!  
-GOGOGO!-And he pressed down on the gas so hard Magnus was thrown back against his seat.  
-Private Zombie!  
-Sir, yes Sir!  
-What is going on Private Zombie?!-Sharp left turn, Icing on Magnus’ shirt  
-Sir, Three down, two injured. Private Spikes was the only surviver Sir.  
-They are catching up!  
-GOGOGO!-fast, faster, turn, red light, missed red light, faster,icing everywhere, turn, yellow light, more icing, faster.  
-Commander Ranger, we are losing her!  
-Talk Private Zombie!  
-Sir, Left shoulder, shot, caliber 3, leg leading out, liver punctured, lungs filling with fluid sir.  
-Can you prefer surgery?  
-Sir, Not in these conditions Sir.  
-Private Glitter, call reinforces!  
-Private Glitter!  
-Sir, I believe Private Glitter is mute, sir!  
-Private Glitter, I’m dying! My liver is falling out!  
-Speak Private Glitter!-Why were they all looking at Magnus, wait, was he Private Glitter?  
-Yes?  
-You will only refer to me as Sir, understood Private Glitter?!  
-Sir, yes sir!  
-Good! Call reinforces! And get a surgeon!  
-Sir, yes sir!-Magnus pretended to pull out a radio and call a segue and reinforces.  
-Private Zombie, are we clear?  
-We lost them from the right, the left is stronger in the middle  
-Sir, There are no reinforces Sir. The surgeon died in combat.  
-Sir there are Stroots all around us.  
-Numbers private Sparks!  
-Four south, 5 2 mile son the east, west is clear, but blocked with buildings, south 7 Stoots, 4 female three male. Two wagons Sir!  
-We shall not surrender!  
-Sir, right sir!  
-Private Glitter, activate the scoop!  
-Sir, the Scoop is broken sir!  
-We are surrounded!  
-Sir, It’s an ambush Sir!  
-Damn right Private Sparks!  
-Sir?  
-We must go though their lines!  
-Sir, That’s too dangerous sir!  
-Sir, We lost Private Sparks sir!  
-Ave ataque vale, Private Sparks!  
-Ave ataque vale, Private Sparks!-Again the looked at Magnus, right, Sparks just died.  
-Ave ataque vale, Private Sparks.  
-Sir, We are surrounded Sir!  
-I know private Zombie! What do you suggest Private Glitter?  
-Sir, I suggest we ought to use the cursed cake method to revive Private Sparks!  
-PRIVATE GLITTER, YOU ARE A GENIUS! Private Zombie, perform the task!  
-Sir, yes Sir!-And the tall blond girl next to him took some of the icing and smeared it across the orange heard girl’s face, who then started to shake as if she was being revived. These people were crazy…  
-Were am I?  
-Private Sparks, do you hear?  
-I don’t remember anything  
-Sir, it’s amnesia sir!  
-What do you estimate Private Zombie?  
-Sir, Just 15 more kms and we reach base Sir!  
-Private Glitter, call the higher authorities and tell Dr.Scalp we have a nine 0’7 severe.  
-Sir, yes sir!  
-Sir, 5 more km Sir!  
-Private Glitter! IS everything ready? -Sir, yes Sir!  
-Fantabulous!-And then the car stopped in the middle of nothing. Alec jumped out, the girls followed and saluted him, then they all broke into a huge fit of laughter. Doubling over, crying and falling to the ground, reaching fro the car as support. When it was finally over, the orange haired girl opened Magnus’ door, took the cake from him and looked at him with shiny eyes.  
-You coming Private Glitter?  
-Huh?  
-There’s a party to be had, balloons to be blown, cake dot be eaten, beer to be drunken, presents to be opened ad a surprise to be given!-She looked odd, like a little kid. Although she was nearly a woman, a young lady.  
-I know what you are thinking, but let me tell you, creative adults are the kids who survived, now out of the car or you’ll be the next one to get the cursed cake method!-They all laughed and Magnus got out. The moment the door shut, the click from the lock sounded and the girls started to wander off, the blond one had her arm around Alec shoulders and they were slightly tumbling/walking up to a, cemetery? The orange haired girl with the cake in her hands, she tuned out to be Georgina, but he could just call her Geo. Like the school subject. They walked behind Alec and, the tall blond one was called Jennifer Gandi the 5th, but her friends called her JG, Magnus was instructed to call her JG, apparently he had passed the test. When he asked what test she was talking about, she told him Alec rarely let anyone into their missions, it was like their thing. Overtime they picked each other up they did this suicide mission gone sideways game, on normal days anyone else in the car just got left out wondering what the hell was happening, but somehow she told him Alec decided he would fit the game and now he was in. Every time they were in a car together, it was a suicide mission escape. Magnus found himself looking forward to the next car ride. Alec and JG talked about music, while Magnus and Geo talked fashion. She was wearing this beautiful black dress by the way. Magnus was wearing blue frosting.  
-So who’s birthday was it again?  
-Olivia’s, she’s awesome. Just don’t comment on her looks. It hasn’t been long since the accident and she’s still upset about her eye.  
-What happened to her?  
-She was near an explosion and lost her eye, I mean, it’s still in her head, but it’s gone white and well, bind.  
-I think it looks great on her-Alec commented from a few meters ahead of them.  
-You tell her that Lightwood, lets see how long your eyes stay in your head.-they laughed and talked all the way up tot he graveyard. As they came closer, Magnus started hear chatter, music and was that a bonfire?  
-Why a graveyard?-He seriously couldn’t imagine why someone would risk having a party here, it sure wasn’t legal, was it?  
-What better place t keep the atmosphere?  
-The atmosphere?  
-It’s sort of a joke because Olivia tried to commit suicide 5 times in a row and failed, then she gave it up and started up a discography. Hove you were heard of F.W.H.M?  
-Yeah, it’s featured worldwide house music or something like that I think-Then the other three erupted in laughter once more  
-Damn Private Glitter, we love you!-JG was clinging onto Alec for support, her heels wobbling dangerously. But Alec himself was doubling over in laughter, which hardly made him a good support.  
-We have to tell Olivia, oh my god!-Geo laughed holding her stomach with both arms.  
-Sorry Magnus-Alec apologized between laughs-It’s just-more laughter- just that everyone has a different explanation of their own,-laugh-but-laugh-it’s never even close to-laughter, the music got louder, the were nearly there,-to what she thought-and they arrived.  
-Ask her what it really stands for, and then tell her what you thought it was. It’ll be the best present ever-they were doubling over, over and over again and suddenly they all had neon green tall wine glasses filled with champaign their hands.  
-JG! Missssssed you soooooooo much!!!-An obviously drunk medium sized funny looking dude slurred as he approached her, some more guys and girls came over to say hi. Magnus didn’t get all the names, but he remembered quite a few. The funny guy was Klaus, but Magnus should just call him Santa (like his friends called him), then there was Murphy Strip, the real Murphy, this guy found it hilarious that Magnus had know Alec while he used his name as a cover. He was a huge believer in astronomic fate, whatever that was, and believed the fact that Magnus was here with Alec after 6 years was the universe telling them Magnus was meant to be part of their herd. Ten there was Octavia, she actually looked a lot like the Octavia form “The 100”, just curvier, taller and better dressed. Then there was Isaac, his brother, his boyfriend and their cousin. All from Iceland, they came just for the party. Who flies in from Europe for a birthday on a graveyard? Kylie was a hippie dating this gothic activist named Gideon. There were a bunch of me looking people, some hipsters and well, there was just everything. Bandanas, sunglasses, silver buckles, smokey eyes, blu lips and glitter. He was somewhere next to a huge gravestone belonging to Kurt Smoth, beloved son, husband and dog? Talking to this really funny girl called Skylark and her friends Smooy and Inigo when Alec appeared with his guitar in one hand and a dark hand in the other. This hand prolonged itself to an arm, a body, a guy. A hot african guy, who's he again? The firman!  
-You coming Smooy? Or is the keyboard gonna play itself?  
-You must excuse me Mr.Bane, a great task requires my skill. I must depart now, but we shall meet again.  
-Of course-Alec, the fireman and Smooy took off in the direction of the river, Magnus used to Skylark  
-So who’s the birthday girl?  
-Olivia? You’ll notice her as soon as the tunes come on. Alec’s voice alway draws her out of her little shell, sex fantasy-she added with a cough.  
-I heard she had this accident, how long ago was it?  
-A year maybe? Nah, I’m kidding. About 5 month ago somewhere in May I think, maybe even June. You came with Alec right?  
-Yeah, I go to school with his siblings  
-Those little rats, they have no idea of what they’re missing those close-minded assholes. Can you imagine, I mean literally, a close minded asshole? I can’t, every time I try to Jace Herondale comes to my mind.-She laughed at her own joke, but Magnus was more interested in Olivia and Alec, how were they connected?  
-So how do Olivia and Alec know each other?  
-Alexander didn’t tell you?  
-Nope  
-The Fifth Time,-Magnus goth the feeling she meant the fifth suicide attempt-Alec was the one who somehow got word of this troubled chick wanting to hang herself from the Statue of Liberty, I reckon Imamu was with Alec at the time, they hook up sometimes, so I guess it must have been imamu, thing is they were somewhere in Brooklyn when Imamu got a call from the NYPD telling him his brother’s girlfriend was about to hang herself. He told me, Imamu that is, he freaked out, scared shitless for Olivia. He tried to get a cab, run,t he subway anything. Alec told him to get his act together, took out his cell, made a call and in 2 minutes a chopper was hovering over them waiting for them to jump on and take them to the Statue of Liberty. They arrived and Olivia was already on the edge. Alec jumps out and pulls a perfect Titanic.  
-Titanic?  
-Yeah, you know the scene where Rose wants to jump into the ocean and he goes all like, I’m jumping with you and saves her?  
-You mean he did that with Olivia?  
-Yeah, takes a rope from the chopper, throws it around this pole and then around his neck, goes to the edge and starts talking about his friend Vicky’s death, how it affected her family, how it affected him. How he would refuse to eat for weeks, how he didn’t take a shower for a month and slept on her grave 4 nights a week. She didn’t understand at first but he didn’t even give her a chance to speak. He went; stupid sibling? Nasty friends? Boring parents? Worthless life? Yeah, yours may be worthless to you, but it ain’t worthless to me. If you kill yourself today, I’ll die with you. My brothers world will collapse, my fiancé won’t get over it and my parents will probably have a party to celebrate their gay-kid-release. I wouldn’t want to give them that satisfaction, I love my brother and gosh, my sister, she’s the sweetest girl alive, my fiancé he’s the best guy on the entire planet, any guy you know, you love, he’s a thousand times better. I wouldn’t hurt him for anything in the world, but if you kill me here, he’ll get hurt, he’ll fall apart and I’ll fall part with him. You are selfish to think your life is yours, because it isn’t. We may share a planet but we don’t share a world. We live in parallel worlds. My world was coexistent to yours, we had no idea of each others existence, but now our worlds are intertwined, my world won’t work without your and yours won’t go on without mine. And just like this every world you have ever come in contact with will collapse with you. You are not committing suicide Olivia, you are committing murder. She stepped away, threw the rope off the Statue, looked at Alec and I quote; you little jackass shall be my partner in crime, love and life. Now lets start a discography in honor of parallel worlds. Lets be so big, our worlds will murder every and each of the remaining worlds on earth when our time comes. They shook hands, got into the chopper, nearly forgot Imamu on the freaking Statue, went to the bank, bought a penthouse on the upper east side, hired a bunch of people and started F.W.H.M.  
-Wow, but what about the NYPD, did they just forget about it or what?  
-Who needs NYPD when you got the FBI in your left hand and CIA in the right?  
Magnus must have looked pretty confused, because his companion laughed at his expression and told him Alec had quite a lot of business with both.  
-Wow  
-Yeah, everyone gets a little stunned when they hear the Lightwoods story. But that was years ago, their dad, Robert, broke off all contact with the police and stuff because he thought his children should have a normal childhood. It’s scary to imagine this guy was in charge of our safety when he needs 16 years to figure out his children should have nothing to do with the FBI and go to high school-Shaking her head she patted Magnus on the shoulder and told him she needed to get going or else she would completely ignore her already pissed off girlfriend.  
-Nice talking to you, maybe you’ll be the next Imamu, or who knows, maybe you’ll even be the next Emir, Alec brought you along after all.  
-You know about Emir?  
-Of course, duh. Who doesn’t, a fucking tragedy I tell you…And on top it had to be Alec’s fiancé! Lightwood is one of the finest people you’ll ever meet. Everyone knows he has huge trouble with himself, with his family, with his life in general. But he puts on a smile for us despite everything he’s going through. I think he knows everyone knows how unhappy he is sometimes, but he’ll come to us when he’s ready. He’ll talk when he feels like it, nobody will push him. We may seem strange, weird, freaks, but we care for him and he knows it. I guess thats why he still comes around, nobody gets judged here.-And give she was, Skylark the wise woman with a hell of a laugh.  
-Well, nice talking to you too, though I seriously doubt I’ll become Emir. From what I heard, Emir was IT.  
-Don’t underestimate yourself, you got potential, real potential. Maybe you are exactly what Alec needs right now. Maybe you are…- She looked at Magnus and he felt like she was looking into him instead of at him.

Magnus never got to answer as the sound of drums carried over the graveyard. Guitars followed and then, Alec’s voice? Magnus looked up and walked over to the river where he saw Alec standing there, hair flying in the wind, eyes blazing with energy, his feet moving to the beat of the drums. Smoky was at the keyboard, geo was the drummer, and there was a base player Magnus didn’t recognize, a guitar dude, he remembered being introduced to but the name escaped him, and then there was Alec, guitar & microphone, his voice sound and clear Filled with energy…He looked so alive, he looked like Emir.

You this one right here, is for the drop out of schooler,  
the future cougars,  
the Mary Jane of youths,  
the ones that choose to be losers,  
for all the misfit kids and the total outcast  
MKTO  
this one’s for you role models

And then the Base player stepped forward to his microphone and joined in,

We are the ones,   
the ones you left behind  
don’t tell us how, tell us how to live our lives  
ten million songs we are breaking all the rules  
thank you for nothing, cuz there’s nothing left to lose 

The guitarist stepped forward,

Thank you for feeding us years of lies,  
thank you for the wars you left us to fight

Alec’s turn now,

thank you for the world you ruined over night,  
but we’ll be fine yeah, we’ll be fine.

Then a little mixture between rap and singing, from Alec and the base player. Magnus was amazed, this was a whole new side of Alec, he had been to concerts, thousands of concerts, but this, it was something personal, it was a gift for the Olivia and all her friends.  
-Awesome isn’t it?  
-Huh?!-Magnus was a little startled by the sudden appearance of someone next to him, everyone was dancing with each other down by the river, some were even dancing in the water.  
-Alec’s voice, the energy. It really makes you feel alive.  
-Yeah, it is something isn’t it?  
-Indeed, he is quite something himself, I believe you are Magnus Bane?  
-You believe correct. Happy Birthday by the way.  
-Thanks, don’t you think it’s strange to wish someone a happy birthday and expect it to be happy just because it’s called happy birthday?  
-Yeah, as if by saying have fun someone is going to have fun right there on the spot.-She too seemed to suddenly look into Magnus  
-Indeed, but now you must dance with me to fulfill your wish to me.  
-My wish to you?  
-Yes, you wish me a happy birthday, and dancing with hot strangers makes me happy, so in order for your “Happy Birthday Olivia” to mean something you must dance with me, or els you shall be pronounced a thief.  
-I musn’t steal your happiness Mrs.Olivia, now may I have this dance?  
-You may-then shaking her head she looked him in the eye (literally in the eye, she couldn’t look into both) she added-You are an interesting character Magnus, you fit right out.  
-And you are a beautiful girl-And that said he took her hand and they were off to dance.

 

…We ain’t coming down,  
hey, look ma I finally made it,  
this world is to damn chaired,  
my life is just like vegas…

It turned out Olivia was an awesome dancer and she WAS seriously beautiful, with her raven black hair, her pale skin, thin waist, the contrast between her white blind eye and the dark brown nearly black one. Her eyes were huge, slightly almond shaped, her lashes long and curled. Her moved elegant but fierce , energetic. he even spotted a grandma and two elderly guys twerking on the edge on the river bank.

 

nanana nanananana thank you na na na, thank you from the bottom of my heart  
from head to toe…

 

We are the ones,  
the ones you left behind  
don’t tell us how, how to live our lives  
YEAH  
…

The night went on, well the morning went on until suddenly a count down started, completely random. Smooy shouted into the micro 19-here’s to crazy carpooling, Alec joined 17-here’s to the statue of Liberty and Parallel worlds, the base player joined in, 16-here’s to breaking into NASA and zero.Gravity sex, a girl in the water shouted, 15-here’s to quinsañeras in Tijuana and kidnapping Robert Lightwoods dearest gay pride, Santa shouted from the cooler, 14-here’s to high school pranks and Alaska Young, JG shouted from Imamu’s lap, 13-here’s to attempt of murder, ketchup weapon and prison selfies, Skylark shouted from on top of some presidents grave stone, 12-here’s to stalking Mrs. Martel and champaign supernova, a Japanese looking skinny dude shouted, 11-here’s to spring rolls and burned fortunes, another girl shouted, 10-here’s to Tuesday sleepovers and Zac Efron costumes, a tall blond girl with a red bandana in her long straight messy hair with red lips shouted, 9-here’s to Margaret García and scuba diving with hello kitty, a dark skinned Mexican guy who Magnus had been introduced to named Marco got hols of a micro and shouted, 8-here’s to Maisy’s secret identity and random letters to Jet, a biker shouted, 7-here’s to failed kung fu and egg salads, a hippie with sun snapped glasses on went, 6-here’s to Forest Gump and Kill-the-bitch-Jenny-Campain, a girl in a hot green bikini shouted from the water, 5-here’s to murder mazes and bisexual Mickey Mouse, a beautiful girl in the arms of a slightly fairy looking like chick shouted, 4-here’s to kindergarten investigations and tea parties at the station, one of the old guys shouted in a deep smokey voice, 3-here’s to cranberry sauce all over my uniform and chocking a 60 year old Vietnamese medal, the other guy shouted in a lighter voice, 2-here’s to the first ever hot dog with pineapple and gummy bears and a headless giraffe, the grandma lady shouted, 1-Here’s to stealing a baby from the hospital being the best decision in my life. Then everybody, well except Magnus, went 20-here’s to teenage memories and other crap we shall worship for the rest of our days. Cheers erupted and hugs, kisses, slaps on the pack and presents were given. Magnus looked at all this in amazement, it was awesome.Olivia was crying and laughing, covered in blue frosting and ribbons. Ha! Magnus wasn’t the only one now!

-Hey-It was Alec who was now standing next to Magnus, overlooking the river.  
-Hi  
-Are you having fun?  
-Yeah, this is the most fabulous party I have attended, which is to say something, as I throw parties nearly every weekend.  
-You really think so?-Magnus looked dat him in amazement, this was the best party ever, Olivia was crying, the good crying that is, everyone was laughing, it was amazing, and Alec was still insecure whether it was good enough?  
-Of course! Alec, this is the best, most personal and fun gift you could have given Olivia! Look at everyone, they re having the time of their lives, and every single person I’ve talked to loves you Alec, theses people worship the ground you walk on!  
-I don’t know, maybe I should have done something different? What if she didn’t like it? What if it’s too personal?-His hands were running through his hair frantically. Magnus softly put a hand on Alec’s shoulder and looked him into the eyes  
-Olivia loves it, I loved it. I would give anything to have someone who would do this for me without even having to ask.-Alec smiled, and somehow Magnus knew this was THE smile, the real Alexander Gideon Lightwood smile. His eyes light up, his features softened and he was twice as beautiful. The blush on his cheeks only added to it.  
-Thanks Magnus-Alec’s voice was os sincere, so gentle, so honest. Magnus loved he fact that Alec would always call him Magnus, never Bane, or dude, or fag or anything else, just his name. In fact, everyone here called him Magnus, nobody judged his clothes, nobody called him names, they all accepted him. A strange crowd indeed.  
-Alec, we need music master Lightwood!-A voice called from somewhere on the left, Magnus tuned around and saw, who would it be, Imamu. The fact that they supposedly hooked up sometimes didn’t please Magnus in the least.  
-Coming right up Sir! I’ll be back in about half an hour, then we can take off if you like.  
-Don’t worry about me, you stay as long as you like, it’s your party after all, enjoy it, you really deserve it-And gone he was. His voice filled the night, but his presence left Magnus’ side.

Magnus talked some more to Skylark, danced with Olivia, joked around with Santa and some others, slowly people started leaving. Magnus and Geo walked over to Alec and Olivia, who were quietly talking about something that seemed pretty important, they hugged and then started laughing. Magnus and Geo took that as a sign to come closer.  
-Hey there  
-Magnus, you gotta convince him to play hallelujah!  
-No way Olive  
-Come on Alec, play it for good old Geo-the tall girl next to Magnus pleaded.  
-Yes, please, for Geo!-Olivia went on  
-Nope  
-Please! Please! Please!-This went on for a while until JG called for Geo and she left  
-Why is it so important for you to play hallelujah?-Magnus inquired  
-Because-and Olivia emphasized the word because-it’s mesmerizing, you won’t ever see anything like it Magnus, it’s so beautiful.  
-Is it?  
-Yes, play for Magnus at least, for new friendship’s sake, come on Alec  
-Yeah, you got me intrigued, play it please.-Magnus joined in  
-No  
-Yes, it’s my birthday and it’s your fault it’s my birthday.  
-But I always end up crying, I don’t want to…  
-Yes you do, Alec. You are just scared to.  
-No…- Magnus got the feeling this wasn’t about wanting to play a song, it was about something more.  
-What is it you don’t want to do?  
-Play hallelujah-Alec lied  
-Feel, don’t lie to him Alec. He knows enough already to be left out.-Turning to Magnus she added-He’s scared of feeling, but then again, who isn’t?  
-BUt feeling is good, it keeps us alive  
-Right, please play it Alec, I don’t need to hear it, but just let yourself back into the world. Emir would want it.  
-I know…It’s just so hard and I feel so guilty…- He sighed as he covered his face with his hands.  
-Guilty of what?-Magnus couldn’t help himself but to ask  
-…Of hurting…and wanting it to stop…he died and it was my fault…and I’m so selfish to want it to stop hurting when he’s the one who died…- A small tear run down his cheek. Olivia hugged him, and whispered something in his ear, weed at Magnus, went over to Alec’s guitar, picked it up and handed it to him.-Feel Alec, live again. Remember you aren’t the only one, parallel world do not die alone, they don’t hurt alone either.-And she left. Alec slid down to the sand and buried his head in his knees. Magnus sat down next to him. He didn’t know quite what to do. Well, he knew what should be done, but he didn’t know whether it would be welcome or not. Nah, know what? Fuck it. He pulled Alec into a tight hug, leaving Dr.Raid aside. Alec sobbed into his shoulder and Magnus silently thanked god or whoever was up or down there that he hadn’t been pushed away. Alec cried for quite a while before pulling away and mumbling an apology.  
-It’s gonna be okay, it’ll all be okay. Maybe not now, nor soon, but oneway, it’ll all be okay.-He looked at Alec and the other boy nodded. Got up and offered Magnus a hand, who gladly took it. He really was tired. The drive back was quiet, Magnus fell asleep int he back.


	21. Chapter 21

When he woke up he was lying in a huge king sized bed, with dark blue sheets and a tall black haired girl sitting in a chair at the far end of the room, watching him.  
-Where am I?  
-In my brother’s room.-her answer was odd, it wasn’t her voice, it was manly and angry. What? He turned his head around to look at Jace standing by the huge window.  
-How did I get here? I was in the car and then…Magnus tried really hard to remember but it was so hard.  
-Alec carried you up, tugged you in and left for another meeting.-Her voice was accusing at first sight, but Magnus was the master of reading between the lines, she was envious. Why would sh be jealous of him? Was this the only bed in the house? That couldn’t be, it was huge!  
-So how was it with Olivia?  
-Huh?  
-Wake up Bane! How was the fucking meeting, party or whatever you did?!  
-It was a birthday, and it was great. Now what exactly are you doing spying on me while I sleep?  
They both looked a little embarrassed at that, Ozzy spoke first.  
-You should shower, you look awful.-That said she stood up and left, Jace eyed him suspiciously but eventually he left too.  
Well, that was interesting Magnus thought as he pulled the covers back up and fell asleep again. he was so damn tired…


	22. Chapter 22

-Rise and shine Magsi dear!-cold, was the only thought coming to Magnus’ mind juts after wet, then came the light. Who had switched on the light? What the hell was going on? Magnus found himself contemplating how he had asked himself this question about a hundred times in the past 48 hours. And what was Magsi supposed to be? A shitty pet name or what?  
-Did you just took the job of showing me into your own hands or did the roof take a hike?-By the way, it was storming, again. Stupid storms. it wasn’t even December and it already felt like January. The weather needed a serious reality check…  
-No time to talk, lets get moving Bane!-Ah, there it was, Bane this, Bane that.  
-Why?  
-Just move it!-Alec’s younger brother grabbed him by the arm, ranked him out of bed and push him tumbling to the door. His strength was amazing, it would have been sexy if it hadn’t been applied to Magnus.  
-What the fuck Wayland?-Ha! Didn’t expect that did you blondie? He looked taken aback by the use of his former surname, not in a million years would he have guessed Magnus knew about his past. Magnus might not be a particularly skilled fighter, nor was he strong or imposing. But he did have the smartest tongue in Brooklyn. And the best sources in Manhattan. Some are athletic, others are well informed. Magnus smirked at his own thoughts totally spacing out on Jace.  
-Sorry what?  
-How do you know my surname?  
-Aren’t we in a hurry Mr Morgenstern? I thought you wished me on my feet as soon as possible and out in the hallway on my way to whatever destination you had in mind?-Putting on his best poker face (and it WAS a damn good master poker face) and his politest tone.  
-Don’t you dare shit me Bane! Where did you get this from?!  
-The same place your mother got you from, the trash.  
-Don’t push it Bane, I’m gonna beat you blind. Now answer me!  
-Fine, I’ll tell you the truth…  
-Good choice  
-Your parents committed a crime so bad, death wasn’t a good enough punishment, they had to adopt you. The a such crime was recommitted and the burden Herondale became Wayland, recommitted again and it became Morgenstern and finally the Lightwoods were charged with you and here he is, the most repulsive for of life in the form of Jonathan Lightwood.

jace ust stared at him. Magnus’ tongue was wonderful indeed… But you asked for it Jonathan, you and only you, so deal with the consequences baby. We all do. Magnus smirked and walked out of the room and down the hall turning random corners hoping to find his shoes by some miracle and get the hell out of there.  
He barely tuned two corners when a hand grabbed his hair and shoved him against a wall, pushed into it and punched. His head snapped back and hit the wall with a loud nasty sound. This reminded him of his early days in High School. Jet and the rest of the gang, damn bullies, Jace would have fit right in, right next to his sister and Sebastian. They sure looked alike, it was strange how Jace and Verlac looked and acted so similar, but never had met. Or maybe they had, Magnus made a mental note to have Camille look into it later on. He loved knowing things, from someones favorite pie flavor to the time they got raped by their father, oh wait! That was him. ThankGod nobody felt the urge to dig up his past, although there had been a file on him on Alec’s desk, maybe he should ask about it. Where was he anyway? He was always at meeting, like some model businessman, like his father he supposed. He had heard about Robert and Maryse Lightwood enterprise and Co. It was a huge empire, they were filthy rich and still Alec had to work his ass off? Something was fishy here, it sure was. And why was he all bloody before? Things just happened so fast, too fast for Magnus to keep track of all the questions he wanted to ask. Will used to say this about reading some novels when they hung out on Thursdays at the skate park. It wasn’t like any of them skated, but skater where weird people to watch. They had their own language, there were small communities within them and the grafittis were their way to mark their territory. Their own art. Art was something else Magnus loved, whether it was a graffiti, a painting, a dress, ink on a paper, a tattoo or a tune on a piano it was beautiful. Magnus loved beautiful things, people, sounds. Beauty was part of him like a needle was part of a tattooer. Alec had millions of tattoos, his entire body could be covered in them, or maybe just his arms and neck. Who knew? Why was he thinking about this again? Ah, right…he was getting beat up by Wayland, who was also shouting at him. Magnus probably looked like a digested zombie by now, but he had gotten so good at zoning out during this situations, it had become and art. And here he was, thinking of art again. He just loved it, sometimes he wished there was a person, someone who was so fascinating they became art themselves.

 

What is going on here?!-A booming voice interrupted Magnus’ magnificent zoning out maneuver. His eyes focused and his head tried to come up. Wow, he was still on his feet, new record. The he realized Jace was still holding him up against the wall, never mind the record. His eyes managed to finally focus on the scene in front of him, well past Jace. Alec stood in the middle of the hallway, he probably just came out of the elevator, he stormed over, grabbed Jace and tore him off Magnus, who he eyed warily. Jace scrambled up and left, Magnus slid down the wall. The only disadvantage of the zoning out maneuver was the pain kicking in all at once, all of a sudden. And crying in front of Alexander Gideon Lightwood was not all that high on his todo-list right now.

Nevertheless Alec was next to him in a second, a gentle hand sipping away some blood, it briefly came over a cut on his cheek and Magnus couldn’t help but flinch. He didn’t give a damn about being beaten up by Jace, but well, pain is pain and right now pain was great. Actually, it was infinite.  
-I’m fine and I’d really appreciate it if I didn’t need to cry in front of you.-his voice was small, but determined. Magnus knew what he wanted, he knew it since the day Alec aka.Murphy had pulled him out of his downwards-spiral.  
-Al right, I’ll be back later.-Alec said in a surpassingly understanding tone, run his hand through Magnus’ hair once more and the disappeared back into the elevator. He decided to stay there a little more until the dizziness left and then he walked/limped (apparently Jace hadn’t reframed from kicking) to the bathroom. He took, what he believed was, the longest shower in human history. He sat on the floor in the shower and let the water run down his back, his hair falling into his face. Long black silky strands of straight hair. When he got up the skin on his fingers and toes had tuned into rubber, speaking frankly, he looked like a 90 year old asian war veteran. He wrapped a bowl around his waist and another one around his hair, the way girls do. More guys should try this, it’s awesome. Women sure got some damn good tricks. He was a little surprised when he found clothes lain out for him on the bed next to a note saying,

These are the most fashionable and smallest clothes my wardrobe could master, hope they fit. Meet you by the piano,  
-Alec

Magnus folded the paper smiling to himself, he knew in the back of his mind he would keep this note for decades. He looked at the pair of black jeans and a navy blue tight V necked long sleeved shirt with a little seagull on his left arm. There even was a pair of black socks, a belt and black C.K. boxers, Alexander was most definitely one of the most extraordinary people he had ever met. He got dressed. Then he glanced out the window, and sure enough Alec sat there on the piano bench. It was already dark, the stars, real stars, not NY stars, covered the sky. He too the stairs down and walked over to Alec, he was about to wave when he heard it, he got out of the tree lane and saw Alec sitting at the piano, playing. Singing. And the only thing Magnus could think of was how right Olivia had been. This was something. Alec was something. From he house you wouldn’t hear it, it was too far and you wouldn’t see it either, but from the tree lane not he little hill Magnus stood on the sound was… something. There wasn’t a word to describe it. It would either take a whole dictionary or a single syllable.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the song is Wasted, the acoustic version, by MKTO (I really like the band:P)

…Night after night,  
day after day… - His fingers flow over the keys, his eyes were closed, but his features said it all. You could feel through his words, though his sounds. His pain, his anger, his frustration, his loss.

…Is it too soon,  
or is it too late,  
Am I crazy to think,  
that I could be in love,  
when it all ends up,  
it all ends up wasted,  
I give you my heart… - Magnus felt like an intruder, but he was to engaged in the display before him to turn away. It was…it was art.

We’d end up wasted,  
la la la la la la  
la la la la la la  
la la la la la la

try and numb the pain away  
I know how to leave, but not how to stay,  
I wonder if I will ever find someone to fill e up inside,  
someone to kiss my fears away,  
If I believe in God I’d pray,  
To God I’d pray,  
Am I crazy to think, that I could be in love,  
when it all ends up,  
it all ends up wasted

I’d give you my heart,  
but I just fuck it up  
we’d end up wasted,  
la la la la la la  
la la la la la la  
la la la la la la

…Night after night,  
day after day…- Olivia was SO right  
Is it too soon,  
or is it too late,  
Am I crazy to think,  
that I could be in love,  
when it all ends up,  
it all ends up wasted-his voice was soft, but then it got intense, it was like when you listen to a song and you turn up the volume at you favorite part and it becomes so much deeper, his voice rose and his hands fell, deeper and deeper. Magnus could feel himself falling into Alec’s rabbit-hole,

la la la la la la  
la la la la la la  
la la la la la la  
We’d end up wasted…

Alec stopped and his head fell into his hands, his fingers tugged at his hair so hard his knuckles turned white, a frustrated scream escaped him. He stood up walked a couple feet, his hand came up to his head again, running from his face to the back of his head, nails digging into his skin. Every muscle as tense as a runner waiting for the gunshot. His knees gave out and he sat on his heels, hands holding his head, face buried in his elbows. Magnus decided this was a good time to come into the picture.

-Hey…  
Alec just grunted in response, some of the tension in his shoulder disappeared when Magnus put his hands on them and started to massage them. It used to help him when he got all worked up, it usually was followed with a blow job, but maybe that part could be left out for now. He sat down next to Alec, crossed his legs and looked out, his gaze traveling over the water, the reflection of the moon, the light breaking when it hit the surface. The blue eyed torn boy mirrored his actions and let out a long sigh. A while passed and neither roof them said anything. To Magnus surprise it was Alec who broke the silence.

-Jako Lee and Josie Dawn.  
Magnus looked at Alec with a questioning look on his face.  
-The people I killed yesterday morning. They were wanted for fraud and murder in Hong Kong, Amsterdam and South Carolina. Their initial idea was to male a fortune by pretending to sell social security numbers and passports of passed away people to legal immigrants and drug dealers, it all worked out for 14 years until a deal went sideways and 7 people ended up dead, there were 12 witnesses. Now you would think, an easy case, by the time the trial arrived all 12 witnesses died mysterious deaths, all random. One got hit by a bus, the next was int he bus and died of the impact. Four kids died of Sifilis, another one fell of a building, what he was doing there, nobody knew, there was a married couple, drowned int he bathtub hours from the trial. The 10th witness was an old man with cancer, his heart gave out two hours after the crime, although his cancer had to do with his liver and not his heart, the 11th witness was a 29 year old nurse, she committed suicide, she was having a baby in 2 months, the last witness was a fireman, he went into witness protection, somehow he ended up int he wrong car and drove off a bridge. They killed 20 people, the fetus included, and got away with it until someone in my dad’s business got onto them and followed them to Spain. He died in a gang shooting, the company was running low on personal, well, soldiers or agents is a better word for it, so my dad thought it would be great I followed them to Spain, so we all moved there. I was supposed to watch them, but I swear, they were the most boring criminals ever. They spend their days farming, for nearly 8 months I watched them, it was literally he only thing I did, spy on two asian killers 24 hours a day. Until they disappeared, one day they were there chopping whatever it is you chop on a farm, a chopper landed, they jumped in and by the time my dad’s people arrived they were probably already in Russia or something. Obviously, it was my fault and I was a disgrace to the family and the law and whatever shit goes with it. I was kicked out and left to figure my life out on my own. I had no idea where I was, so I decided to go left. I walked, hitchhiked, or whatever was available until I arrived in Barcelona, finally somewhere were credit cards actually worked. The stupid countryside run only on cash. I got new clothes, a car, met some new people, made some bad friends, lost a lot of money, learn Catalan, Basque and Gallego, met Vicky, drove down to Sevilla. I had the time of my life until I decided to pay my family a visit, when I did my father was the only one home. I should have let when I saw him, but I stayed. We got in this huge fight, we always fight now. He decided to give me a second chance at the J&J case. I don’t want it, I wanted to get married, not catch killers! It only made it worse, when I refused to do anything he told me. Finally he had me kidnapped at the airport. I should have known something was wrong the moment Rafael showed up. Fucking christian…I ended up taking the case anyway, I moved back here, was told to take care of Iz and Jace and well, look how that turned out. I got track of Josie and I guess they got word of my stalking, so instead of following them they followed me. I noticed and told my so called superiors, they thought it would be an easier way to catch them if they use me as bait, so what way bound to happen happened and you just happened to be in the middle of it all. I’m really sorry for being a jerk, it’s just I really, really hate it. I mean they deserved it, but still… It just doesn’t feel anywhere near great to kill someone, and it being part f your job makes it twice as bad. Anyway, I’m also really sorry for calling it shit and just leaving you there. I should have explained…  
-You did now  
-Yeah, I guess. But I should have told you sooner. I know how it feels to see something horrible and not fully understand it.  
-What was with all the cover up?  
-Hm…You see, if the world knew what really happened, it would create a small mess. But you must know this doesn’t just happen once, I’m not the only one with this shitty job, there are millions of these cases. Cases that you watch on BBC as “shoplifter killed in gang shooting” or “pickpocket committed suicide”. If everyone knew about all the cold hearted killers walking around them 24/7 it would create a panic, total chaos. So we ever it up. It’s a little like Men in Black, but instead of alines it’s just people.  
-Wow, and what is your dad’s business?  
-He’s some kind of inquisitor, looking for people who fit the NYPD or FBI or Marines or CIA profile. In the end it’s just cops. Different types, not everyone gets paid the same nor does everyone get to carry a gun, but at the end of the day, they are just bunch of cops. Just people.  
-At the end of the day we all are just people.  
-I know, but sometimes I feel like we are no better than them. They kill Mr.Miller’s son and we kill them.   
-Right, but you are good people killing bad people, while they are bad people killing innocent people.  
-Hm…But we aren’t all good and they aren’t all bad, and no one is all innocent.  
-We all die eventually, sometimes it’s a consequence of our actions, other times it nature calling but most times it’s just bad luck.  
-Magnus?-Alec turned his head around to fully face Magnus  
-Yeah?-God, he looked so innocent, so vulnerable with those big blue scared eyes.  
-I don’t want to be a bad person.-A small tear fell from the corner of his eye and his head sunk. Magnus pulled a hand up to his chin and brought Alec’s head dup to eye level.  
-You are not a bad person. You her me Alec, you aren’t bad. You are one of the best people I know.  
-But you don’t know me…  
-I know enough of you to tell you, you are a great person. A fantabulous person.-Alec smile at the use of his invented word.  
-Thanks Magnus-It was barely a whisper, but it was there. And it had been such a long time since someone had thanked Magnus, not the thanks for the pen type of thank you, but the honest type, the type hat said I’m grateful and meant it. The “thanks” that leaves you with a small warm feeling in your gut.  
-You are welcome Alexander Lightwood.-he would pay millions for that smile, thousands of millions just to see those deep blue seas light up.  
-So why was Jace beating you up?  
-I may have insulted his parents and him…well, his life in general.  
-What did you say?-An amused smile played on Alec’s lips and Magnus told him, reluctantly, but he did.  
-I knew about his adoptions and foster homes before he got here (Ragnor and I did some research), so I called him Wayland just like he calls me Bane, I really didn’t mean any harm, just kidding around. But then all of a sudden it bothers him and he want stop know how I know about his name. I just couldn’t let the opportunity to tease the mighty Jace Lightwood pass, you know? And I got a pretty smart tongue.  
-A smart muscle indeed…- Alec added under his breath, Magnus giggled at that but went on.  
-So I might have told him his parent committed a crime so bad that death wasn’t enough, they had to adopt him, and he didn’t like it.-Alec cracked up  
-Calling him Jonathan Morgenstern didn’t help either…- Alec laughed even harder at that and Magnus ended up laughing too despite having said some nasty stuff to Jace. He wasn’t a cold hearted bitch, he did feel bad about his insults, he just couldn’t help himself when the opportunity to spit them in Jace’s face came up. But Alec found this whole situation hilarious. He doubled over and his frame shook violently. Magnus could only shake his head. Alec was strange, no doubt. But he was fascinating too. He remembered Skylark telling him he would open up, when he felt ready. How he should not push it, so Magnus didn’t push it and like she predicted, Alec told him about his “job” and how he felt about it. He even had Magnus assure him he wasn’t a bad persona. And here they were, sitting side by side int he tall grass, laughing like crazy. 

 

When they got back and went to grab something to eat they came across Jace and Izzy in the kitchen. Great, just great…


	24. Chapter 24

-Alec!-Jace called, but his brother ignored him.  
-What’s wrong?-Izzy asked  
-He’s mad because I beat up Jace and ruined his tea party…  
-Oh  
-Come on man!   
Sill nothing, Alec grabbed a beer and started looking around for one of those things you sue to get them open, Magnus never remembered their name  
-Look I’m sorry about Bane, but he deserved it!   
Apparently Alec had given up on his beer-opener-thing search and was now offering Magnus something to drink   
-You know I hate it when people get onto my past.   
-Come on Alec, silence won’t solve anything…- Izzy sounded reasonable, but Alec ignored her too.

-He plainly insulted me!  
Magnus took a soda.  
-I’m sorry! What else do you want me to do? Call your business guy and apologize? I will!  
Nothing  
-Damn it Alexander! It was just one stupid meeting, there will be many more, and you’ll make loads of new deals!-he was talking to him as if he were a 5 years old. Magnus understood Alec’s anger, though he did agree with Izzy, silence never solved anything. Finally after finishing his beer, Alec looked up, starring Jace straight in the eye.  
-I don’t give a damn about Vodge and the Amsterdam connection, I’m pissed off because you are angry at me and take it out on Magnus. Who by the way has a forename, which isn’t Bane, which you may feel free to use. But that ins’t the point, is it?  
-Nope  
-You can’t go around beating up people just because you don’t like your big brother’s decisions. Magnus hasn’t done anything to you and frankly speaking, the troubled-past-story is getting really old Jace. You have to learn to deal with it, just like everyone else deals with their problems. Because if you don’t get a grip on yourself, one day you’ll beat up the wrong guy and I won’t be there to clean up behind you. One day you won’t win, your pretty looks won’t always get you out of trouble, Izzy and I won’t be there to help you and dad won’t give a damn, what will happen then Jace? What will happen when you get in over your head? What will happen the day you won’t be able to handle it?  
-Jeez Alec, you talk like Dad!-Izzy sounded somewhere between horrified and amazed  
-Robert may be an asshole, but he knows what he’s talking about Izzy. One day things won’t work out and if you Jace, don’t get a hang on your damn temper that day is gonna come sooner that you think.  
-I know, I know. It’s just hard, okay?-Jace was defeated, Magnus silently cheered for Alec, though he worried too, the way the blue eyes beauty spoke was the way someone with experience speaks, and that kind of experience is rarely good.  
-So what did this Vodge guy say?  
-We were right below you and this funding wouldn’t stop. I tried to pretend it was nothing, but Vodge kept looking up. We closed off the deal and I went up to check the noise out. I did and then came back down to see Vodge out, he asked bout it and…  
-And what?-Izzy inquired  
-What?-When Alec din’t go on Magnus got curious too.  
-Speak up dear brother-jade joined in  
-He may have left under the impression you guys were having sex…- Alec’s blush was velvet red, you would think he was guilty, but the small smirk and the glimmer in his eyes suggested otherwise.  
-What?-Jace left his fork clatter onto his plate as horror invaded his eyes, Magnus chocked on his drink and got lost in a coughing fit, Izzy was bubbling over with laughter and Alec just eyed them with a wicked grin on his face.

Magnus stood there in a mixture of horror and amazement. Alec joking around with his brother was something completely new, at least to him, I Izzy looked at Jace chasing and play talking Alec with a hint of satisfaction in her eyes, her posture suggested this was quite usual, or it had been quite usual, as he discovered a hint of nostalgia in her eyes. The two boys rolled around on the floor, screaming and laughing until Alec was on top holding his brothers hands behind his back.  
-You’re out of shape Jonathan.-he said in an exaggerated deep voice.-This will have consequences.  
-Father! Have mercy!-Jace fake pleaded as Alec twisted his arms even tighter behind his back.  
-Oh Robert darling! You are hurting the poor boy!-Izzy joined in, in a high pitched voice and her hand over her mouth.  
-What was that? An impostor in my home, boy go get her!-And he pushed Jace out from under him.  
-My mother would never say such things! Thee must die!  
-Kids up to your room, your father and I will be in Idris for the year with Max sucking up to the Inquisitor.  
-Good Lord! It is Her!  
-Mother!  
-You ought to call me Maryse, we are in public! How many times do I have to repeat this for it to get into your tiny brain Little Mister?  
-Apologize to your mother son  
-Yes father, I apologize Maryse.  
-Well done, now go do your homework and tell Alexander to watch Isabelle while she is with that distasteful young man!  
-His name is Meliorn  
-I do not give a damn about his name, you may now be excused.  
-You mean exiled?

All three lay on the floor, tangled up and holding their stomachs as laughter filled the kitchen, the house and probably the hole neighborhood. They were loud, like very loud. Elephants in a panic running over bubble paper kind of loud. It took them 15 minutes to get up, stop laughing, look at each other and starts laughing again. Magnus watched the show and grinned.  
-God, I wish Max was here…- Izzy breathed when she had calmed down.  
-Yeah, our little man…- Jace added and then when Magnus looked over, Alec had turned ghost white and dead serious. He tried to cover it up and walk away but Jace bought his arm.  
-Alec, are you all right?  
-What is it?  
-Nothing…I just got a little dizzy…I’m really tired  
-Okay…- Izzy didn’t push it, Magnus applauded her, although it was clear as fuck he was lying.  
-I’ll walk you to your room - Jace offered and Alec just nodded.


	25. Chapter 25

-Sorry about that-Izzy said a moment after her brothers had left.  
-You kidding? That was awesome! Like going to the circus  
-Shut up-but she was smiling-You know Magnus? I really missed these moments, the three of us together joking around, no hard feeling, no lies, nothing. Just having fun like we used to.  
-What happened?  
-Huh?  
-You said “like we used to”, meaning something changed, what?  
-Hm…Well, I guess you are somehow part of team now, after all you’ve spent 3 days with us in a row.-She laughed at that and Magnus did too, this was weird. However, it felt strangely natural to be around Alec and his family.  
-Yeah, you are a quite peculiar family though.  
-I take it Alec has told you about the business?  
-Yep…It’s what happened right? I mean, it had to do with this business thing?  
-Yeah…See, we used to work undercover at schools and stuff, small things like stalking teachers who were suspected of some kind of shit. It was fun, we got to travel a lot and we even got to pick our new identities. Until Jace picked a name, they were supposed to be invented names that don’t exist, but one day we were in San Fransisco and the local police came knocking on our door, they arrested Jace for fraud. We had no idea what was going on for at least a week. My dad’s people got through and finally the found out Jace picked a name that already existed, the guy found out and shit went down. Turns out his dad was a big time lawyer, we get into this huge mess and my mum gets all worked up about it. Throwing all kinds of speculations at Jace, how he tried to ruin their business, how he planed on taking them down, how he was a spy from Herondale & Co. Crazy right? It had been a stupid coincidence, I was ten, Jace 11 and Alec had just turned 12. I didn’t understand what was going on, neither did Jace. I mean, he knew he screwed up and his new adoptive mother hated him for it. But I guess Alec was the only one who knew what was going on. he talked our dad into giving us a last chance, into giving Jace another chance. See, we had never been to a normal school or lived a normal life, the families company was school, the companies rules were our rules. It was really cool…Thing is we got another chance and came to New York to, I dunno, to do something, it went all right, but then Jace screwed up, again. He got into a huge hall fight, then he started to get into fights everywhere, the principal called, the police called, we even drove down to the station to pick him up, one day my mum and she lost it. It was kind of stupid, just a small gang fight. Then she started losing it over stuff like me wanting a new dress or needing new notebooks. School supplies, casual clothes, toys. We were starting to find out about the normal life and she started going paranoid with worry. Now you would think she worried about us, nope. Sh worried about Jace ruining her job.  
-But wasn’t he like 11?  
-Yeah, but when you work for the FBI you pick up some skills on the way. And you have access to classified information.  
-Oh  
-So my mum decided we weren’t fit for it, she put us on a plane, Jace and me that is, send us to Spain, we stayed there and went to school in this little town called San Sebastian, they had this native language called basque, it was everywhere! We sucked at Spanish and didn’t speak a single word of basque. We pleaded to be let back into the States, instead we got to spend 2 years in Scotland. It was cool, but Scottish wasn’t much better than Spanish. We attended this huge private school, with uniforms and everything. It looks dilemma a castle. We never knew what happened to Alec. Some postcards arrived, him telling us about how great London was. They never had a return address, so we couldn’t write back and anyway, we weren’t allowed to. According to mum Alec was working really hard for his degree.  
-Why would your mum lie about ale’s whereabouts?  
-I don’t know. When we called, he was off at school, on Sundays he had soccer, in the evenings he was out with his “mates”. And he supposedly didn’t want to talk to us. We never thought much of it, I guess we should have cared more. It was kind of obvious he wasn’t in London. I mean, for 2 years you can’t answer a phone, but have time to send postcards? Why would you send postcards from your own town? We were so stupid, so self centered.   
-Yeah…  
-Now imagine our surprise when we get send back here, I mean, we were happy to come back to America, but it was so sudden. Then Alec appears out of nowhere, is pissed at us, hurt and won’t talk about it. He calls mum Maryse and dad Robert, he’s always angry and flips out when we mention Max. I get it, he hasn’t seen him for 3 years, but his reaction is plain weird. I’m sorry, you don’t have to hear this.  
-I want to, sometimes it helps talking to someone outside your problems, to clear our feeling up.  
-It’s kind of sappy.  
-Feeling always are.  
-I feel awful. It not like I haven’t wondered what my brother was doing, but I guess I thought everything was fine. I thought he was off somewhere chasing a football or studying physics. But I should have known! Alec hates team sports, he likes literature, not science. I’m s stupid. And all the things I’ve said to him. I mean, I was partly right, but I still had no right to treat him like this! I had him waiting for hours in the dark while I partied, I purposely told him to pick me up 2 hours before the party was over, just to get back at him for ignoring me at home. You have no idea what I’ve told him Magnus, Alec gets hurt really easily and I just, I forgot him. I was with him like I’m with Jace, I insulted him, blamed everything on his low self esteem. Tried to get him to come up and party, when I know he HATES high school parties, parties in general. He hates strangers, what do I do? I have a party at our place. I know he struggled with his sexuality when we were younger, what do I do? I drag him to pick me up at a gay club, I wasn’t even there and he waited for 5 hours! I told him he was a pussy, ignorant, boring old brother, a coward.-She covered her face with her hands-I told him he was so deep into the closet he probably found Narnia Magnus. I was such an asshole, but I didn’t know how to get an emotion out of him. If he wasn’t angry, he was working, he was a freaking robot! I got him to dress up as a fucking biker so I’d get invited to Bat’s party. I made him go on with what he hated to do, I made him pretend to be someone he is not. And now I hear everything that happened to him, everything he did, I talked to this Pablo dude who knows my brother better that I do. I followed you and Alec to that birthday yesterday, and all those people talked about him like he was a fucking god. They love him and the KNEW him.  
-You followed us?  
-It was damn hard, he drove like a lunatic! But that isn’t the point Magnus! I should have known! I should have seen it!  
-I don’t think you could have guessed his fiancé got killed din a plane crash back from England. Nobody could have guessed that.  
-It’s not only that, I get that was big, but it’s the small things, the way he knew those firefighter. The story with Imamu, how he knew Olivia, the stories his friends at the party told. Did hey tell you about the time they broke into a mattress shop and spend a night there? The story of how they organized a gay pride parade in Cuba, how he and Emir met, the full version I mean. How he saved Olivia, how he met Rafael, how he investigated your father Magnus.  
-He what?  
-Right! We know nothing, I know nothing. Some blind chick on a graveyard knows my brother better that I do. I feel so guilty, and it’s so frustrating how he won’t tell us anything! I talked with this dude, they called him Cheshire, he said not to push him, he would open up when he was ready, but it’s so hard!  
-Isabelle, they told me the same thing, and the same night Alec told me about this feeling. Today he told me about your dad’s business.  
-Why does he talk to you instead of to me?! Sorry that came out kinda harsh, but you get it, don’t you?  
-Yeah, but just give him time, let him get used to the idea of you and Jace back inches life.  
-Hm, why do you think Alec still works with this research business?   
-What he talked on the phone did sound pretty big.  
-And complicated!  
-Yeah, there must be about over a hundred rooms in this house, do you think there could be a prison too?  
Izzy laughed ta that and shook her head. - I lived here for the biggest part of my childhood and believe me, I’ve searched in ever single corner of this place for christmas presents, there is no prison…Unfortunately.  
-What are you two gossiping about?  
-Is Alec in bed?  
-Nah, he needed to get some “work” done before he went to bed, he said if he wasn’t completely worn out he wouldn’t be able to close his eyes.  
-Why?  
-Nightmares-Magnus blurted out  
-Nightmares? Alec? So he needs to work? Pff!  
-No, Jace, what Magnus says makes perfect sense. When you are totally exhausted you are less likely to dream and Alec sure got reasons to have nightmares.  
-Maybe  
-What does he need to work on anyway?-Magnus was VERY curious now, what did Alec know about his dad?  
-Dunno  
-Lets find out then  
-We can’t spy on him! You just said you would give him time  
-Time, but not space.  
-No need to do so, I followed him after he thought I came back here. Do you remember dad’s study Iz?  
-Yeah, is he there?  
-Nope, he has turned the small library in the west wing into a CSI scene. I swear the room is a perfect murder scenario.  
-Less talking and more moving!

It was wrong, but nevertheless, Magnus went along. They followed Jace back to the “small library” in the “west wing”. Magnus felt like a rat in a hamster cage. All this was out of his league. He liked castles and stuff, everyone did, but living in one? Living like the Lightwood? It took you an hour to get from one side of the house to the other! And who had two libraries? Who even had a library? And after seeing the first one he was utterly confused about there being a second one. How many books were in this house?


	26. Chapter 26

-Here-Izzy bend forward, it were cracks in the wooden floor of the room above Alec’s “study” room. The library was about a quarter of the other one Jace had told Magnus. Izzy’s mouth formed a small O. Magnus got down and looked between the cracks. His mouth formed a capital O.

The room below them was covered from top to bottom in cork boards, white blackboards and green ones to filled with numbers, pictures, writing covered them form top to bottom. There was a huge glass board, Magnus suspected was a screen. Like the ones the FBI use, well, Alec was the FBI. There was a huge table lane filled with computers, printers, fax, phones, 3D printers, recording devices, laptops, speakers, CD players, radios, cables, moused, pen drives were laying around everywhere, but mostly files, folders filled with paper formed towers on the floor, file boxes lined the back wall, all the books had been taken out of the shelves and showed in the back of the room, forming huge piles. Some were piled up and used as tables. Blue prints were covering the right wall. And the wall above the desks was covered in calendars, from al years, all types. Hundreds of them, dates circled in red, notes all over the place. A black chair with wheels stood by the biggest Mac Computer, there were even these silver briefcase/computer things. The windows were filled with notes, covered from top to bottom with pictures, the others had been blocked by shelves which had been pushed out of the way. Now that Magnus noticed, the attic they were in was filled with furniture, new looking furniture. It must have been the furniture in the library Alec took out. But the most astonishing part was the left of the rooms, the walls were gone, swallowed by black and white photographs of random people. Some had notes scribbled on the side, but most of them had a red string going for the top right corner to the selling, and back to another picture, note, folder, newspaper cut out article, on the other side of the room. The floor touching the walls was covered in brown file boxes with white stickers covered in blue/red/black marker. The empty shelves were lined with plastic bags, the kind you see in movies where police keeps evidence, some even had a little red sting attached which ten made its way over to the selling and back to wherever it was supposed to connect. On top of box piles were empty coffee mugs, Starbucks cups, Mcdonald’s cups, Chinese take out boxes, Japanese take out, empty chip bags, wrappers lay here and there, an apple core, pens and pieces of chalk, pins, sellotape and a pile of thin black suitcases. Magnus wondered what was in them.  
-You see what I was talking about? He’s going insane!  
-Jace, this is bad.  
-It looks really professional doesn’t it?  
-Magnus?  
-Yeah?  
-Shut up!  
-Excuse me? I’ll say whatever I want to say, and you can’t deny that looks professional. See how all threads go through a small loop on the selling?  
-So? It’s useless, he put knot in them anyway, how is he supposed to know where they lead?  
-He did that so he could walk around upright, and whenever he needs to know where a thread leads to, he just pulls and as the loo is just the right size, the string will move not he other side, but the knot won’t allow it to move the others. This isn’t something you learn overnight, neither do you see it in movies. This IS professional, it’s been done very carefully, precisely.  
-Wow, how do you know all this?  
-Camille’s dad is a private investigator form the White House, he let us come on a tour of his study, explained how everything was done, how things were supposed to be, to look, we got to see the government’s own investigation room, it wasn’t half as good as your brother’s Jace.  
-Okay…- Izzy started to sound unsure.-What is it he is “investigating”?  
-Probably something of dad’s  
-No-Magnus knew it, Camille’s dad was dead, but he couldn’t tell them the truth. He also, however, couldn’t let them believe a lie. Not when it came to the brother they were trying to help and get back.  
-No?  
-It looks to personal to be your father’s business, besides, why would your dad be investigating dead people?

-Huh?  
-How do you know all this Magnus? I mean, sure a tour and all, but you know more than you say Bane, don’t you?  
-Maybe, but that’s not the point, you see those boxes in the back next to the big printer? The dark blue ones with he black lid and red marker?  
-Hm  
-Death certificates are kept in boxes like those.


	27. Chapter 27

-…Lightwood here-They all jumped at the sound of Alec’s voice, he had repaired from behind a shelve filled with little red containers and was now answering the phone.  
-…I was calling to attend the matter of Mrs. Zazpi’s will…Yes…Thank you…When will the autopsy report be available?…I see…What did you say was your name?…You are Gorka’s mistress?…That’s beside the point…Listen Mrs. Zazpi, I don’t think you should be worried about where this information came from, but where it will go to…That’s non of my concern…Of course I’ll hold…- He put it on speaker and walked back to the computer, fired it up and Magnus was surprised by the amount of folders he had. Thousands and thousands of them, non with a name including letters. Everything was numbers, for protection Magnus suspected. He finally opened a document, it was a scared image of a dead woman. A pretty fresh dead woman… Izzy looked away, Jace made a strange sound in the back of his throat, Magnus couldn’t stop starring  
-I know her…- He had no idea if he thought it, or said it. But he knew her. That was Sofi’s mum, Caroline.  
-You do?-Well, he said it out loud.  
-It’s Caroline, the mum of a friend of mine. She lived in Yorkshire with her sister and her sister’s husband. Her wife passed away a couple years ago.  
-Poor Carol…- Alec’s voice came from below them as he eyes the picture, he wasn’t grossed out by it, he was…studying it?-Let’s hope it was you…  
-Sir?-The phone  
-Yes  
-We will fax you the autopsy now.  
-Thank you Mrs. Zazpi. Alway a pleasure doing business with the CIA, maybe one day we can all have a party.  
-Maybe-And she hung up while Alec quietly laughed to himself as he got up and walked over to the fax. He pulled the paper out, read it, reread it, reread it 5 more times. Sunk into his chair, buried his head in his arms and screamed into the fabric of his worn sweater.  
-We need to see that paper- Jace stated  
-We have to get in there-Izzy said  
-You can’t, it automatically locks itself whenever Alec leaves.  
-What? Is that even real? I though tit was one of those police jokes from TV  
-Apparently not, there is even smoked of panel on the door, you need Alec’s eyes to get in, his fingers and his voice.  
-Even more reason to get in, maybe the window…  
-They don’t open, bulletproof.  
-How do you know all this?  
-Our dad made us study the blue prints of the house when we got here.  
-What the hell?  
-I know…We’ll just have to wait for him to slip up and leave the door open then  
-You kidding? Alec, slip up?  
-You’re right. We’ll sneak in behind him?  
-No, too obvious…  
-Why don’t you just ask?  
-SHUT UP BANE!-Both said at the same time, okay, he got it. No asking, no playing clean.  
-Well, I’m gonna call Ragnor and tell him where I am before he actually calls the FBI.  
-Are you crazy?  
-Listen Magnus,-wow, Wayland new his name!-You cannot tell anyone anything we have told you, you can’t tell anyone about this house, about us, not even about talking to us. This NEVER happened, you don’t speak of it, you don’t think of it, you don’t tell anyone about it. IT-NEVER-HAPPENED. Clear?  
-Okay, I’ll just say I went to visit cartoon or something…  
-You don’t say anything  
-I’ll say whatever I want Jace, stop bossing me around will ya? I’m not stupid, I know my friends and I know they are worried, so I’ll tel them I’m fine and with at a friend’s house, she’ll cover for me and your hole hocus-pocus here won’t even be mentioned.-He got up and he left. He didn’t want to call Ragnor, he didn’t even think they were worried, Magnus had stayed out millions of times and they knew he could handle himself. He just didn’t feel like spying on Alec any longer, and as funny as his sister was she was no better that Jace. He went outside and decided to call a cab. The driver said it would take him an hour to get there, Magnus said he’d wait. He had been here long enough, he didn’t want to impose and he no longer felt comfortable. Not knowing Alec was a blackmailer, a Sherlock Holmes, a crazy teen, a singer, an FBI agent, a ninja, a killer, a nearly widower and well, seriously messed up. His sibling were crazy too, and his parents, he didn’t even wanna meet them. Nor did he want to be here to find out what Alec was investigating. He liked him, but he knew what it was like to get in over his head and he sure didn’t want to repeat the experience, as nice and hot as Alec may be, Magnus was snot about t get dragged back under. Not this time, not today.


	28. Chapter 28

3 weeks later

 

-Hey Catrina, long time no see, wanna hook up?  
-Bite me  
-With pleasure  
-Give it up Fell-Camille came up to them. They were hanging out behind the school, Catrina came over from Medical school, Ragnor sent an excuse to the principal, Camille didn’t have a last period on Fridays and Magnus, well who needed history, they were all dead anyway.  
-It was worth to try  
-Those are great words Ragnor, just in the wrong context.  
-They might be great, but they are the wrong words-Magnus added-you say; it was worth A try, not TO try.  
-Beat it Mags, nobody wants spelling lessons.  
-It’s grammar actually  
-Bane!  
-Sorry, sorry!  
-So, where’s the party?-Camille asked  
-I heard Will is having one, something about the football team winning some shit of the year  
-Fabulous!-This had become one of Magnus’ favorite words  
-I heard there will be a band and all.  
-Who’s playing?-Catrina asked  
-Sonido Cantábrico-  
-Sounds good to me-Magnus said  
-I just hope they don’t let The Mortal Instruments play…- Ragnor added  
-God no! Last time I was at Java Jones this freak started reading some poem, I swear I won’t open a literature book ever again! This guy ruined my love for poetry…  
-What love?-Ragnor spat sarcastically  
-Do you even know what poetry means Camille?  
-Shut up Fell! You too Bane!  
-Thank you Cat!  
-Now what should I wear?-Magnus wondered  
-And that is my cue to leave, you guy stalk about clothes, I need to study.  
-Take care!  
-See you later-And as she walked away her white hair bouncing in a long ponytail behind her she didn’t even make it 7 steps before someone called her name, all 4 of them turned around.  
-Loss!  
-Yeah?-She sounded surprised, a tall muscular guy run towards them, he had just jumped out of a cab and his hood and hair covered his face, the cold November wind had no mercy.  
-You are Catrina right?-He pushed his hood back, with a swift jerking of his head to the side he threw his hair out of his face. Electric blue eyes, pearl white skin, red cheeks from the cold and a bruised lip. Alexander.  
-Yes, can I help you?  
-Yes!-realizing he probably sounded to eager he added - Please, I heard you are the best doctor around here and I was wondering whether you could go over some papers for me and tell me what you think.  
-I’m not a doctor, I haven’t even graduated.  
-Who cares about titles? I was told you are the best and I won’t take anyone but you. I’ll pay you, of course.  
-Hm, what kind of papers?  
-Mostly autopsy reports, death certificates and insurance policies, and if you don’t mind I’d also like to show you some pictures and see if they match what the autopsy says.  
-All right, but where do you get all these from?  
-A friend of mine works with the Spanish police department in Barcelona, her name is Vicky, she send these to the NYPD department in Chelsea. I work for them, now you would think this is awesome, like a James Bond movie, unfortunately it’s mostly paper work. Victor and I are the only ones who speak and write Spanish fluently so we have to translate them. I started translating and things got mixed up, I think I got the wrong pictures or the something because things don’t add up. So before I go to my superiors, I wanted to make sure I’m right.  
-Oh okay, when would you like to meet?  
-The sooner the better  
-Tomorrow 12:30 at Taki’s?  
-Perfect. Actually, I’ve got one on me now, could you just look at it real quick right now?  
-Sure  
Alec took out a small brown file from he inside of his leather jacket and handed it over to Catrina. Magnus, Camille and Ragnor couldn’t see what was in it from behind the building, they could just listen.  
-Hm…And you are sure these pictures came with these reports?  
-Yes  
-Well, at first sight they look accurate, but see right here it says the aorta artery was punctured and was there for the cals of death. However, looking at the photograph the skin covering this artery is intact. And then there’ this picture here, see the angle of the arm?  
-Hm  
-Now if you look closely you can see a small puncture wound. My guess is something was injected into the body, although the autopsy doesn’t say there was anything normal found in the blood tests.  
-Could it have been oxygen?  
-Yeah…Actually yes! That would be why the computer didn’t classify it as an anomaly…How did you know?  
-Criminal Minds-Magnus grinned at that, he realized he had missed the voice, the unmistakable smile in the sound of it. Catrina laughed too, and it was kind of hard to get Catrina to get to laugh like that.  
-Well, there don’t seem to be other mistakes.  
-So just the cause of death?  
-Yeah  
-Could you wait just a minute? My partner is on his way and he understand this better than me, Dr.Reid does teach you a few tricks, but like they say; to catch a killer you gotta think like one, or at least have a doctor at hand.  
Catrina laughed at that too.  
-Damn he is charming!-Ragnor whispered  
-Shut up Fell!  
-Jace!  
-Alec! And who is this charming young lady?  
-The charming young lady is a couple years older than you dear brother-Alec laughed and again, Catrina did too.  
-Well, youth is a very general word isn’t it?  
-Yeah, but quit the speaking and look at this, Catrina tells me the autopsy says the aorta artery was punctured and there for cals of death, now look at the picture, the skin around it is intact. But we suspect the cals of death was O2 being injected into an artery here in the arm.  
-Yeah, right, wow you are a genius not-so-young lady  
-The genius is your partner, I’m just the doctor.  
-And she’s modest too! Alexander, we must take this future Reid out for drinks sometime.  
-Dream on brother love, but we will meet tomorrow at 12:30.  
-What? You knew I had to go pick up Clary at 12:30!  
-I knew indeed-And again Catrina laughed.  
-As interesting as this is, I gotta get going. I probably missed my train already.  
-Train? Such beauty in the underground? Brother, we cannot let such a disaster go down in NYC!  
-Why, no! The so called not-so-young-charming-lady-doctor-Loss shall take the car.  
-No, I’m fine.  
-I’m sorry Catrina, but as crime fighter, and fine law men we can’t let you take the train. Shall we?  
-We shall-When Magnus, Camille and Ragnor looked around the corner they saw Catrina being escorted by Alec and Jace to a black limo, Alec spoke to the driver, opened the door for Catrina, Jace hopped in after her and they sped off. Alec just looked at the papers, stuffed them back into his inner pocket and shook his head. With his hand deep in his pockets he walked back to where he came from, but not before waving in the trio’s direction.  
-He saw us?-Camille puffed in disbelieve  
-How could he have seen us? There was a freaking brick wall between us!  
-He is that way…- Magnus mumbled back.  
-How do you know?  
-I just do-Magnus told his best friend and jogged after Alec who was walking into the direction of the park.


	29. Chapter 29

-Hey wait up!-Magnus shouted as tried to catch up with Alec  
-Why, hello Mr.Bane, liked what you heard?  
-I don’t know, it was kind of confusing. What do you need the autopsy reports for? Is cartoon really that good?  
-You should know, she’s been your friend for 10 years now.-Magnus blinked confused, how did he know that?  
-Surprised I know that?  
-Well, yes  
-I do a background check on everyone I bring into the circle  
-The circle?  
-It’s a figure of speech. My parent hate it, so you gotta use it. Won’t disappoint them, will I?-He laughed to himself and Magnus realized this wasn’t the Alec he knew. This was the Alec that was shown to the world, the real one, the one who lived in the house eon the hill was hidden away. And right then it hit Magnus, he had anticipated this. After all he had just left, but he never thought it would affect him so much. It was as if his fleeing was being thrown into his face like a nasty accusation. He deserved it, but it was somehow unsettling. Alec wasn’t someone he wanted to mess with, not after seeing his study. Not after seeing him murder two people. Not after having met his friends. Not after having been beaten up by his brother. Not after having heard his story.  
-Right  
-By the way Bane, you should start preparing an alibi, your father has strike once again. See you in court.-And he walked over to the street, whistled and jumped into a cab.  
Court? Who stroke again? WTF?

 

And sure enough a week later, Magnus was having a bubble bath when his door was knocked down and four SWAT guys yanked him out and a blond young woman read him his rights.

Now he sat in one of those interrogation rooms with his hands chained to the table and probably a hundred police men starring at him through the mirror/window. He had been given a grey NYPD tracksuit and a pair of white trainers with neon green laces. His hair was flat against his scull still wet and his face looked bare without make up. Not even glitter! These people sure made you feel uncomfortable. Finally a middle aged man came into the room and sat down across from him.

-Lets see…Unknown origins…interesting,ah… white a nice name  
-Thanks. But why am I here again?  
-Ah I see…An eager one? Straight to business then my little fella  
-The name is Magnus Bane  
-Of course. Where were you the night Ronnette Sorollu was murdered?  
-Who is Ronnette So…? And when was she murdered?  
-Now, you wanted to get to the point right, so just tell me where you were Magnus and make this easier for all of us.  
-I can’t tell you were I was if you don’t tell me when this person was killed. Or who this person is for that matter.  
The man sighed and showed him a picture of a young woman, brown hair, brown eyes, full lips. She was really pretty, except for the hole in her forehead. That looked nasty.  
-Middle aged woman, worked an indoors designer in Seattle until she moved here to continue her career as a waitress. Quite a strange turn of events don’t you think?  
-Maybe she liked restaurants or just had enough money to do what she liked, which happened to be serving food. I don’t know.  
-She was killed on Sunday between 7:00 and 7:15 PM in her apartment in Brooklyn. I understand you live there?  
-I do, but I was at home the whole night.  
-Alone?  
-Yes  
-Did anyone see you enter the building? Is there a doorman?  
-No, this means I have no alibi right?-Magnus started to register what was happening and Alec’s words kept ringing through his head, “By the way Bane, you should start preparing an alibi”.  
-It does. Now do you know who killed her?  
-No Sir  
-I believe you know this man very well  
-Well, I don’t think I know whoever you are talking about.  
-He’s a very powerful down-worlder, known drug dealer, runs Marihuana across the border daily. He never commits these crimes himself, he gets his victims killed.  
-You mean he hires a hit man?  
-Yes Magnus, but if you confess we may be able to catch him and you could get a plea.  
-Wait, you think I killed this woman? But I didn’t even know who she was!  
-Just confess Magnus, I’ve seen kids like you in prison. It wasn’t a pretty sight, scars all over, bald, no fashion. Raped daily, even killed in prison riots. Do you want to die in an orang jump suit with a Mexican dick up your ass?  
-I think I what a lawyer-Magnus definitely wasn’t about to die in an orange jumpsuit, and scars, rape, no hair? He didn’t want a lawyer, he need a lawyer. The best damn lawyer he could get.  
-If you confess now the judge will take it into account.  
-But I didn’t do anything! Why am I even a suspect?  
-Because you live 6 blocks away and because of your relationship with the killer  
-But who was the killer, well the guy who hired the hit man?  
-That is classified information, and besides, you already know  
-I don’t and I haven’t done anything!  
-You never do anything, because everyone is innocent. Pff…- And again Alec’s words rung through his head and he didn’t know why, but he said them out loud.  
-“But we aren’t all good and they aren’t all bad, and no one is all innocent”.  
The cops eyes went wide and then into slits.  
-Where did you hear that?  
-On Sunday afternoon between 7 and 7:15 from someone who wasn’t there and who I don’t know, but I can’t tell you because he is faceless and nameless.-Magnus snorted, he wasn’t about to tell this asshole where he had gotten those words from. If he wouldn’t tell him why he was suspected he wouldn’t get anything from Magnus either.  
-If you won’t talk we can keep you here for 48 hours, in a cell. And I can get them to put you in there naked fella. With a cell-mate, sounds awesome right?  
-I’d like my lawyer now.-Magnus knew his rights, stripping him of his clothes wasn’t even legal. And since tomorrow was Monday, he was okay with it.  
-Your lawyer will be delayed, there are a lot of people who want to call their lawyer, you know?  
-I know my rights, and I want my lawyer.  
-I know your right too, Magnus…A wonderful name-And that was when Magnus noticed the camera’s red light was off. He got a bad feeling, a really bad one.  
-I’d like my phone all now, please.  
-Sure, follow me. Oh wait, you can’t! And since everybody is gone…and I’m the only authority here, you wouldn’t want to displease me would you, Magnus?  
-I don’t follow-But he did, very well and he knew what was happening now. Should he scream? Where they really alone?  
-I think you do-he said and went around the table. He started massaging Magnus’ shoulders, his hands going lower every time, love this chest, around his nipples, his waist, his crotch. Then they stayed there. Magnus decided he should scream, and he did. As loud as he could. He screamed his lungs out and the cop just laughed, he laughed and gripped Magnus, hard. Started moving his hand up and down, back and forth until it slipped under the pants and he hadn’t been given any underwear…God no…Please no…Magnus closed his eyes and tried to zone out, he had managed to do so with Jace and it worked. It didn’t now.  
-Please stop-magus begged  
-You know you like it, Magnussss - He hissed his name and it sounded ugly, like a dirty word. He was gripping too tight, too hard, the guy had a ring on and it scratched against Magnus’ cock painfully. It hurt, it hurt so bad. Why him? Then the hands were gone, and suddenly the chair was taken out from under him, he nearly fell down but his cuffs held him to the table. The guy grabbed his ass, hard and yanked down his pants and bend Magnus over the metal table.  
-Please no!-Magnus could feel tears in his eyes, he felt the familiar knot in his chest. The panic rising in him, the muscles in his legs tightening, his shoulders tensing back, his neck burring itself in his shoulders. His stomach hurt, it was as if it was trying to make itself smaller. He heard the guy undoing his pants and opening a condom which he lay on the desc. He grabbed his head and turned him around. He forced his dick into Magnus’ mouth telling him this was the only lubricant he would get. Magnus hated deep throating, it wasn’t good at it, it chocked him. The guys dick was huge, not only long but wide too. And hairy, Magnus tried to close his mouth, but it was forced open. The older man grabbed a hand full of Magnus’ hair and bobbed his head back and forth. Too fast, too hard, cant breath. Can’t breath! Magnus wished he would just die already, the guy came in his mouth, Magnus had no choice but to swallow it, or else he’d drown in cum. When the man was finished Magnus’ lip was split, his throat sore and his cheeks tear stained. Not to mention the hair that had been ranked out and now lay on the floor. His head throbbed, his throat hurt, his spirit had just suffered a minor death. He had no time to think about how bad his throat hurt, as white pain invaded every inch of his body, his visions blurred at the edges and he cried out. Tears run down his cheeks, he squeezed his eyes shut and the “fabulous self-confident happy Magnus Bane” he had build over the years was killed with every thrust. The older man thrust into him so hard Magnus could feel something warm run down his legs and soak into the fabric of the tracksuit. He hit the table hard every time, he felt this skin tear apart, he wants dot die so badly. SO damn badly. Right now he didn’t care about being young, his life being good, about all the things he want dot do, his friends, he just wants sit over with. And if dying was the price to pay he would pay it a thousand times. He could feel the policeman’s muscles tighten and then he leaned on Magnus, without drawing his cock out of Magnus, just pushing it downwards, he leaned on Magnus, liking his ear, kissing his neck.  
-St..stop…pl…plea…please-he chocked out. Why wouldn’t he leave Magnus alone, why would he stay inside him? Why?  
-But I’m not finished beauty, this was just the first one.-he laughed and then he took his length out. Relief flooded Magnus body for a second before he thrust back in, harder than before, faster. It burned, it hurt, Magnus started to lose his vision again.  
-NO-And it started again…After the sixth time Magnus’ body was just lying there on the table, being thrown forward with every thrust, blood pooled on the floor, the man above him groaned in pleasure. Again, again, pain, again, death, again, darkness. When Magnus’ eyes opened he lay on the table, someone was holding his head, pressing his mouth open and rubbing something against his teeth.  
-H…- His head went down hard against the cool surface, he had been turned around…  
-Shut up fag!-That woke him up, he noticed his mouth starting to burn, and he smelled bleach. Was he cleaning his mouth with bleach? That couldn’t be good, he tried to move his head, to turn away. But he only got a punch to the groin. Tears rose to his eyes, but there were no tears left. His mouth burned, it burned horribly. He felt his lips start to peel, he tasted blood, we wanted to die.  
-So, this will be it Magnusss, you can bleed out here in an abandoned police station on a metal table with your hands behind your back, raped. Sounds like prison, doesn’t it? And then he knocked the table over, sending Magnus flying against the wall, Magnus lay there between the table and the wall, he curled into a tiny ball and without noticing he held his breath until the man left. He locked the door. About 15, 30,40, minutes (it seems like years) after he left a loud crash was heard.  
-NYPD!  
-NYPD!   
Doors were knocked in, he could hear feet stumping, shouting, but it all blurred together and the only thing he could think of was, no more NYPD… He buried his head in his knees and this time tears did fall, small sobs escaped him.  
-Clear!  
-NYPD!  
-Clear!  
-Check the back!  
-Clear!  
-Nothing!  
-Keep looking, this isn’t just anyone, we gotta find him!  
-Yes sir!  
-The something was moved outside the door and more shouting followed.  
-I got a locked door!  
-Clear!  
-NYPD! Open up!  
Magnus shook with fear, no more NYPD please, it sounded like a whole gang of them. Please, his body couldn’t take any more! The door came crashing down, Magnus tried to hide as well as he could behind the desk, in his little ball.  
-Sir we found him!  
-Where?!-the voice sounded familiar…  
-Over here! He’s wounded!  
-Out of the way, the table was thrown aside and Magnus shrunk into himself at the sound. He peeked out of his arms and couldn’t believe his eyes. Alec stood there, all geared up. Black leather, bulletproof west, gun, badge, gloves and horror in his eye. The relief Magnus felt washed away quickly as the pain kicked back in and the realization he was laying naked in a puddle of his own blood. Alec seemed to see that too and put the table back in front of Magnus. The everything went dark, it was as if there was a second little heart in his backside pumping pain, but instead of pumping blood. He could feel it pulsating through his whole body, specially his but, his shoulder and head  
-Out!-Alec commanded and the officers left, all but the guy next to the table trying to get Magnus to sit up. Apparently they were too slow for Alec, and out included the guy in the room too-I SAID OUT! NOW!-This time they hurried away, the one next to Magnus too. As soon as they were gone Alec pulled the table away, he was on his knees in a second, shrugging off his tick FBI jacket and putting it around Magnus. Magnus silently thanked the fact that it said FBI instead of NYPD, his telling fingers pulled the warm jacket around himself. He tried to sit up, but cried out in pain and fell back down.  
-Come here-Alec’s voice was so gentle, carrying and he sounded so worried that Magnus figured he would have trusted him even if he was pointing hi sun at Magnus’ head. Alec slipped his arms under Magnus’ back and wrapped the jacket around him so that he was mostly covered up, then he took him into his arms. One arm steadied his middle and legs, the other was around his shoulders and stocked his hair. Magnus curled into Alec’s strong wide chest, every step shot pain through him. He called out to one of his partners, Magnus couldn’t hold it together any longer. He started crying, sobbing, shaking, fear overtook him. What if they were taking him to his dad? What would happen now? Where did the guy go?  
-Hey, it’s okay, it’s okay now. You are safe Magnus, it’s all gonna be okay-And somehow this helped, he knew things were far for okay, and he wasn’t safe, but being told he was helped. He calmed down a little, but he just couldn’t stop crying. Why did these things always happen to him?

They were now in the back of a black SUV, Alec wrapped a blanket around Magnus, who was still in pain, but well, the thing about pain is, you get used to it, in time it becomes part of you. But he was touched by the fact that Alec still held him, he rode in the back with Magnus, who’s legs were robbed up on the seat, Magnus was curled up in Alec’s arms who didn’t make any attempt to tel go of Magnus. he just held him, mad him as comfortable as possible, gave him his jacket, got him a blanket, told him everything would be okay, telling him to stay with him until they got to the hospital. It was impossible, by the time they arrived at the hospital and Magnus was being wheeled around the world had already gone black. The only thing he remembered was shouting. Lots and lots of shouting everywhere…


	30. Chapter 30

-Good morning honey!-A sweet high pitched voice came to him as soon as he opened his eyes.  
-Huhhhm?  
-You’ve been sleeping for about 12 hours, your boyfriend has been a pain in the ass.  
-Boyfriend?-why was this woman talking to fast? And so loud!  
-Yes, the one with the beautiful blue eyes, he’s been sitting in the waiting room since you arrived, for about 18 hours I think, 2 surgery, 12 sleep, 2 ICU, 1 to get you all set and the first one, yeah, 18 hours.  
-18?  
-I know right? He won’t let lose, he’s from the FBI, but that won’t help him-she laughed-these cops…they think a badge is like a magic key! All night he’s been trying to sneak in here, he dressed up as a nurse, he hid in a laundry cart, he tried to outrun security, we had to call security 6 times! The only reason he didn’t get kicked out is because his father owns the place-she laughed again.  
-Security?  
-You are a little groggy aren’t ya? He sure loves you though  
-He isn’t my boyfriend…- Did Alec really do all these things?  
-No?-she sounded so amazed, Magnus could have told her he was an alien from planet dick who came to rob the earth of soap and sh would have looked less amazed-Wow, well, he should be. He already put you under witness protection, there are 5 cops outside your door, 2 below your window and 1 at every elevator and fire escape! It’s so romantic, and exciting!  
-Wow-was all Magnus could muster before he fell asleep again. When he woke up it was to shouting outside his door.  
-…I’m his cousin! Why did you think I cared so much!  
-…I’m sorry sir, but you’ll have to identify yourself  
-I can’t, my passport is in Brooklyn at Magnus’ flat, I’m staying with him for hanukkah!  
-…Well in that case  
-Marcus Don’t! The guy has been trying to get in there for 24 hours now, he’s FBI don’t believe a thing he says  
-FBI? Aren’t you a little young? How aloud are you even?  
-I’ll tell you if you let me in, please!  
-No  
-I’ll pay you! I’ll do anything, just let me in, please!  
-Sorry sir, only family  
-My father owns this place, I’m FBI, I brought him here, I saved him, and I can’t see him! My family pays you!You have to give back, life is all about getting and giving.  
-NO  
-Come on, just 2 minutes, I just want to see him! He’s in danger!  
-There is already a cop at every corner, at every turn. This has tuned into a fucking fort!  
-Because the guy who did this is still out there, and if you don’t let me in I won’t be able to get a description and I won’t be able to send out an APB for him and every second that passes he’ll be further away!  
-You need to go home and sleep kid  
-Sleep? He’s in fucking pain, how the hell am I supposed to go home and sleep? Are you out of your mind?  
-Are you sure he isn’t your boyfriend?  
-I told you, he’s my cousin! We celebrate hanukkah together! Let me in, PLEASE!  
-Okay, this is enough, take him back to the waiting room.  
-…Don’t! Don’t touch me, I know the way!  
-…Move it…

And the voices were gone, Magnus fell back asleep to the sound of the heart monitor. Beep beep beep…

A loud thund! woke him, he looked over to the window and there stood Alec, black climbing gear around his waist, rope in one hand a muffin in the other. He walked over to Magnus and handed him the muffin,.  
-You need to eat, the food here is shitty as hell. You can have cancer, and die of starvation instead of a brain tumor.  
Magnus took the muffin and bite into it, he sure was hungry, and he loved chocolate, everyone did. His lips burned, but he had never been able to say no to chocolate.  
-So you came in through the window?  
-Yeah, those bastards wouldn’t let me in through the door, so I figured there must be another entrance.  
-Do yo uno how stalklike that sounds?  
-Well…  
-You could have just waited, you know? You could have died climbing up here!  
-Huh? Nah, I went into an empty room, pulled my gear on and climbed up, it was just 3 stories, so it wasn’t long. Though the old lady on the forth floor freaked out when my head popped upon her window.-They laughed at that and Magnus felt a warm feeling spread in his stomach. Nobody had ever claimed a building for him.

-So what’s Hanukkah?  
-It the festival of lights, practiced by the jewish. It’s often mistaken for christmas due to the fact that they are celebrated around the same time of the year. However, hanukkah is a day of worship, where kids go out in the streets once it’s dark and offer candy and other treated. There is no electric light, just candles. The chandelier is the symbol of hanukkah, although they call it Menorah. Simon Levis, who I believe goes to your school, is jewish by the way.  
-Oh-Magnus had no idea about this, not even about Simon.-Do you stalk Simon too?  
-Well, since Jace started dating Clary, Simon’s best friend since they were 2, Izzy as taken some kind of weird interest in Simon and as a good older brother I ought to know all about this individual, who by the way is beyond ordinary compared to the other 223 boys I had to run a back ground check on.  
-223, your sister hasn’t even lived two decades and she has already dated more than my grandmother?!  
-Yeah, she’s horrible that way  
-But there isn no time, how can you date that many people in that short time?  
-Well, she started at the age of 9, and her relationships aren't likely to last over a week. If lucky they’ll last a day!-He laughed and Magnus noticed once again the way his eyes lit up.  
-And how comes you know so much about jews?  
-I read a lot, and…well never mind-he looked down and something shifted, Magnus could literally feel something inside Alec shift, the light in his eyes died.  
-And what?-Magnus nearly whispered  
-No never mind, how’s your head?  
-Tell me…  
-…Emir was jewish…we celebrated hanukkah and went out around 9 o’clock offering snickers and mars bars. Down in Sevilla most people are christian, but they accepted the candy anyway. Specially the kids, they loved it…and this odd couple living near the port, they were fascinated by jewish culture and religion. It was really weird, but cool at the same time. God, why am I telling you this?  
-Cuz I asked, and I wanna know.  
-Why do you even care? You left! I swore to myself I would never talk to you again, I would lock you out and then you were there with Catrina Loss and I told myself I would not talk to you and then I did and I’m talking to you now…I’m going crazy…- And with his head in his hands he looked so desperate, but what was Alec doing here indeed?  
-So why did you make all this effort if you hate me?  
-I don’t hate you, I just…Remember how I told you to get an alibi prepared and how we would meet again in court?  
-Yeah, that was pretty nasty, I spent hours trying to figure out what the hell you meant…  
-I meant what I said-Alec look puzzled and Magnus nearly laughed at his inability to read into things. Thanks to the fact that he was all drugged up he couldn’t feel a thing, this included his ability to produce sarcasm. He couldn’t bring himself to it.  
-I know that now…- He added with some bitterness  
-…I’m sorry…It’s just that I was really pissed off at you for just leaving, I hate it when people leave and don’t tell me. About the alibi comment though, - Alec said, his voice sounded so small and broken-A coworker of mine told me about the Edom killer striking again, I knew they would question you because of your father  
-But I don’t know anything! I haven’t heard of him since I was 6!  
-You know that and I know it, but the NYPD don’t.-Magnus flinched at the sound of those letters-I kept a close eye on it and when they went to get you for questioning and they came back without you saying you were taken to the Brooklyn precinct, which by the way closed down, I freaked out when Denise told me who gave the order to take you there, grabbed whoever was there and went looking for you…I’m really sorry Magnus  
-You know who it was?  
-He tried to do the same to me, I was bigger and stronger though, so I yanked the table up and beat him up. I got kicked out of the New York Police department-Magnus noticed how this time he refrained from using the short version - Imamu’s, brother was a cop too, he told the same story, I’ve tried to bust the guy ever since, but he’s smart and he’s careful. No evidence, just a couple of victims who don’t remember a thing. When they told me he got you, I came right away…and I was too late…I am so sorry Magnus, so sorry…Please believe me…- He looked up at Magnus through his hands, the strong facade had fallen apart and he looked so vulnerable.  
-It fine, give me 2 or 3 weeks and I’ll be back to normal.-He put on a brave smile and Alec looked right through it.  
-What?How can you say that? The doctor said scar tissue was all over the place, you even got a skin transplant! They said the had never seen anything like it, they said you were nearly beyond repair Magnus…  
-It’s okay Alec, and isn’t it weird to talk about that inside of my butt like this?  
-No it ins’t okay, this is serious! I…This is all my fault, if I had been faster, I should have known…How can you be so cool about it?  
-I…Well…It…It’s not the first time…I know how to handle it…- He had never admitted this to anyone, he had sworn never to talk about it and now here he was, confessing to Lightwood.  
-You were raped before?!  
-Don’t shout it! And shouldn’t you know all about it, since you study my family every night?-He spat at Alec, who dare he investigate him?  
-What?  
-I saw the files on your desk, and you know all about my father, so why not know all about me? You knew it all 6 years ago too, right?  
-6 years ago I only knew what I heard at school, I wanted to help you…- And Magnus remembered how Alec had begged them to let him go, told them how he had only wanted to help and how every time it was thrown in his face-Please let me help you…This is my fault, let me make it right…  
-How is this your fault?-he had no clue to why Alec would blame this on him, no one on earth could have predicted this!  
-Because it just is  
-Tell me why  
-It just is  
-But there is more, why do you blame this on yourself? You couldn’t have known this would happen again  
-It-just-is  
-Don’t lie to me Alexander, see where that has gotten us-Fine, that was low, really low. But this boy just wouldn’t open up! Alec flinched at his words, but he spoke  
-Because…I…I know who did this to you…And…You know the guy too…or at least you knew him…  
-I knew him?  
-6 years ago, the “leader” of the kids who bullied you, Jet. I caught him on tape beating you up several times, smoking pot and drinking beer. I speed and studied him, instead of who I was supposed to study, but I couldn't let him get away with bulling you like that.   
-But why? Why care about some random kid? Other got bullied too  
-I knew I was gay and I hated myself for it. I was disgusted and tried to kill myself. It didn’t work though…Then we were sent to your school, and I got the chance to play the gay lead singer popular guy, it was cool and it felt great to tell the world who I was, even if I was only pretending to be someone else, not even thinking of coming out to my parents. It was only a cover, but then I saw how you got beat up for being like me. I couldn’t take it, I didn’t want to see it anymore, so I decided to make my job useful for once and got Jet into reform school.  
-Oh  
-Yeah…He spent 5 years in there, until he escaped and…he has me, ever since I came back to NY he has been doing this shit. He has connections, loads of them….  
-And…?  
-…He uses them to find out about me, to get back at me…He took you because one of his people saw us leave Bat’s party.  
-Who?  
-I don’t know…I don’t really care…he raped you Magnus, to get back at me…It’s all my fault…I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, so so so sorry…- And his voice broke and he started crying softly into his hands. Magnus took out his arm from under the covers (damn it was cold in here!) and took one of Alec’s, he pealed it off his face and squeezed it lightly, when Alec looked up, he looked into those broken blue eyes, he knew Alec was sorry, he knew he blamed this on himself and he knew how scared Alec must have been when he found out who Magnus had been with when he didn’t return to the right station, after what happened to Emir, the poor boy would panic every time someone left, someone didn’t come back.  
-I know, I know and it might not really be okay, because I really wanted to die, but you came and like you said, it’s going to be okay. You don’t need to apologize  
-But I was late…  
-But you came, and I forgive you.  
-How?  
-Because you saved me once, and now you saved me twice…And because you are my cousin and we are celebrating hanukkah-Magnus added with a small smile, which Alec’s lips mirrored, slowly but they did, he even did his laugh/sigh and just before Magnus dressed off again he felt his hand being gently squeezed.


	31. Chapter 31

When Magnus woke up again it was darker, colder and the room was fuller. The second his eyes fluttered open sound filled the silent room. Actually, the silence was replaced by a thrill, loud high pitched scream.  
-He’saliveOhmygoshMagnusIwassoworriedwhenthisguycallednadtoldmeyouwereinthehospitlithappenedagaindidn’titIredthislittleclipboardandjudgingbythemedicationsitdidI’mmgonnakillthebaztardI’mgonnariphisheadoffhisshouldrskickitintoabowlfilledwithacidthenI’lljanckouteverysinglehairinhisbodyONEBYOONEandroasthisdickonanopenflameI’mgonnashovethefreakingempirestatebuildinguphisass.Iswearhe’sdeadButhowareyou?AreyoudruggedupallnicelyIsawyougotakiloofpainkillersI’msosorryforwhenthey’lltakeyouoffmedsit’sgonnabesohorribleandI’mgonnakillhimyou takeallthetimeyouneedI’llmakeeverythingupandyoujustrestpleasetellmeitisn’tasbadasitlookedAndwhoisthisanywayIsn’thethedudefromCatandtheautopsysandwhatswithallthegearunderyourbedandwhyisthereacopateverycornerohmygodI’msodamnsorryforyoubutdon’tyouworryI’lltakecareofyouwe’llmakeyoubetterweknowhowtohandleitI’msokillingwhoeverdidthisyouknowweloveoudon’tyou?

Ragnor didn’t stop once to breath and he was already getting teary eyed by the end of his rambling, Magnus felt oddly touched by his friend’s state. He looked like he had just been yanked out of bed, in fact, he wasn’t even wearing matching socks, he wasn’t wearing any shoes at all. His pajamas were pulled halfway up and his trench coat was probably something he grabbed on his way out.   
-I’m gonna go and leave you two to talk.  
-You could have done that 5 hours ago - Ragnor snarled  
-Right, I could, but I didn’t. Should I perhaps bring you some shoes, or is this some new fashion I haven’t heard of?  
-Huh? - Ragnor looked at his feet and for the first time since he left his home he realized he had totally missed the fact that he crosse half the city barefooted. Alec smirked and walked out. Magnus could hear him walk down the hall calling something to someone which went along the lines of wake up asshat, probably some cop who fell asleep.

-So who was that?  
-Alec  
-That was the Alec, as in the Alec Lightwood the murder?  
-Nah, turns out he’s a cop and the guys he killed where criminals.  
-What? He told you this?  
-He was the one who got me out  
-HE?  
-Yes, he figured out what was going on and came to “rescue” me.  
-He was too late, wasn’t he? - Ranger’s voice was sad, disappointed really.  
-Yeah…But he came Ragnor, he even blames all this on himself.  
-He better…  
-No Ragnor, I’m serious. He seriously thinks this is his fault. He wouldn’t stop apologizing, the nurses wouldn’t let him come in as he wasn’t family. He got out a window and climbed up the building to get in through my window. He could have waited 24 hours Ragnor, the nurse thought he was in love with me because of all the chaos he build trying to get in here.  
-And you are sure he isn’t in love with you?  
-His fiancé got killed in a plane crash not even a year ago  
-What?! Oh my God, this puts a whole new spin to everything. A new perspective… Maybe he is so moody because of it, yeah, probably. But enough of the Lightwoods, how are you really?  
-I’ll live  
-Damn it Magnus! Why does this always happen to you? You are the best person I know and you have to put up with all this crap 24/7, you deserve a break and everything was going so well and now this… I swear, I’m gonna kill him, I will.  
-I know-And Magnus knew, he knew his best friend meant it. He knew Ragnor would kill him, and that was when he started crying. Ranger claimed onto his bed, Magnus scooted over to give him room and Ragnor hugged him, tight. He let Magnus cry into his chest like in the old times. After a while Magnus falls asleep again, these drugs sure made you drowsy.

 

This time when he woke up the room was dimly lit, Ragnor sat in the chair beside his bed, he was texting someone. Alec stood by the window, half hidden in the shadows. Shadows that somehow were part of the blu eyed boy with the raven black messy hair who carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. His gaze was lost in the distance, what was he thinking? What was he feeling?  
-Hey, how are you feeling?  
-Quite frankly, I’m starving - Ragnor laughed at that  
-Yeah, me too, I took one look at the food just before Lightwood here sent it flying out the window.  
-He threw the food out the window?-Magnus whispers to his friend eying the tall boy next to the window  
-Yeah - Ragnor whispered back, looking at Alec too-The nurse brought it in and as soon as he left he grabbed the whole tray and threw the thing out the window. He hasn’t said a word since.  
-Interesting, maybe he is thinking, planning something?  
-Yeah, I heard he is some sort of genius, the smartest in the family. Maybe he is figuring out how to catch the bastard  
-He’s been standing there ever since he came back?  
-Yep, he even got me new shoes. - Ragnor said as he wiggled his feet in the air showing off a pair of mauve low converse.  
-How did he know what size to get?  
-No idea, maybe he reads minds or he is some sort of illuminati or a messiah  
-You know, I can hear you and as a matter of fact,a messiah has nothing to do with mind reading. A messiah is actually someone who dies for others’ sins in order to deliver a message and make the world a better place, Jesus Christ was a messiah, that is if he ever existed.  
-He speaks!  
-Nice discovery,-Magnus commented, then turned his head n Alec’s direction-So how did you know what size to get?  
-I never said I wasn’t illuminati  
-You are?   
-Do you both like Japanese food?-Alec asked  
-Yeah  
-Yes  
-I’m gonna get something to eat  
-So are you illuminati or just mind reader? - Ragnor wanted to know, Alec was already half way out the door when he stopped and said,  
-Nah, I’m just an eighteen year old homosexual child prodigy with a great eye for details.-And with that the door swung shut and gone he was.  
-He sure knows how to make an exit-Magnus wonder out loud  
-And he has a sarcastic side too  
-I would call it dark humor, sarcasm is way lighter-Magnus laughed  
-Absolutely, though I would never have guessed he was gay. Look at him, he didn’t even eye the sexy doctor, and when you said fiancé I assumed it was a girl, I’ve never heard of two dudes getting engaged at 18!  
-Yeah, but he didn’t eye the nurse either.  
-He was lucky Magnus, he really was. If I found the guy or the girl I wanted to spend the rest of my life with at 18…We would do so many things, go so many places, have so many parties and so much sex…I feel so sorry for him, you know? He had all this and then a stupid accident takes it all away? No wonder he’s so strange…  
-Hm…I wonder why he cared so much to get in here  
-Maybe he does like you  
-I don’t think so, it’s way too soon for him to start liking someone new.  
-Maybe, the sooner the better for him, right?  
-Guess so  
-And what’s with all the cops? They are everywhere! I had to get IDed and searched to even get on your floor!  
-Alec got them so He wouldn’t come back to here and admire his work-Magnus was conscious of how bitter the sounded, but it happened before and he had no idea if Alec had known what a great favor he had done by putting so much effort into his security, he wasn’t sure if Alec knew how safe he had made Magnus feel. The first time “this” happened to Magnus he panicked every time he heard a door open, every time he heard someone walk down the hall. Alec had made it possible for Magnus to sleep peacefully in all his drugged up glory.  
-Jeez Magnus!  
-I’m serious Ragnor, you have no idea how much all this security and safety precautions have helped. I could sleep, like really sleep. Without panicking, not even once.  
-Well, it is kind of sweet of him to worry so much about your safety, but how did he know you had trouble with this?  
-I don’t know, I haven’t told him, but he could have looked fit up. He’s a cop after all  
-Cop or not, why would this be written in some file and why would he bother to look at it?  
-I don’t know, maybe he didn’t know at all. Maybe it’s part of some new witness protection system, or maybe he just is this cautious.  
-Maybe, let’s just ask him when he gets back and who did he know what size to get?-Magnus’ friend sounded so intrigued and irritated Magnus had to laugh.  
-It isn’t funny Bane! I want to know how he knew!-This just cracked Magnus up even further, until it hurt to much to laugh and he had to stop. 10 minutes later Alec was back with a two bags filled with Japanese take out and another one filled with sodas and long white boxes.  
-Yo  
-Is that a police thing or is it just me?  
-I have no idea what you are talking about-Alec smiled and put down the bags  
-This yo, as a way of hello, every cop I’ve ever met does that - Ragnor remarked  
-Well, I would love to talk about police tendencies but I fear your friend is starving, and so am I.-He handed Ragnor a small white take out container with rice and broccoli bathed in soy sauce, a small plate with sushi and a pair of chop sticks. Magnus got sushi too, some wort of delicious vegetable mix and he got to choose between chop sticks and a fork. He went with the fork, he wasn’t sure he could master balancing sushi on chop sticks after everything he just went through. He knew he would break down once the drugs left his system, but until them he was gonna enjoy himself.  
-What’s with the white boxes?-Ragnor asked  
-Watch and see, have you figured out how I knew which size to get yet?  
-Nope, tell me  
-Look at your socks-And while Ragnor took off his new shoes and looked at his socks Magnus watched Alec take a tall champaign glass out of one of those white boxes, one of those Camille called flutes, he filled it with lemon flavored Fanta and handed it to Magnus.  
-Thanks, how did you know I liked lemon Fanta?  
-4 weeks ago you picked Lemon Fanta, I remembered and figured it would be nice to have something other than tab water and shitty coffee.  
-Wow, I…thank you…- Magnus wasn’t sure what to say, Alec remembered what soda he had 4 weeks ago, what else did he remember?  
-HA! It says here! 38!  
-Well done-Alec praised Ragnor as he emerged back to the surface of the room with an orange pelican printed sock in his right hand.  
-You saw it on my socks when I sat down and put my feet up while I was trying to get comfortable in this horrible chair.  
-Yes indeed  
Magnus laughed while Alec pulled out two more “champaign flutes” and filled them, handed one to Ragnor and the proposed a toast.  
-I like your style Lightwood - Ragnor admired Alec’s idea. They all raised their glasses and touched them together. It was kind of funny, it was a little silly too, Magnus was in a hospital gown, Alec was in his FBI field uniform and Ragnor in a trench coat and goofy pajama pants. It was great.  
-Here’s to those great drugs that are keeping Magnus from dying!-Alec said  
-And to the guy who designed these fabulous gown my best friend is currently wearing!-Ragnor added  
-And to hanukkah!-Magnus finished grinning at Alec who gained back. They ate sushi and drank soda out of tall glasses, Alec had even bought some candles and lit them, so they wouldn’t have to sit there under the ugly yellow hospital light. The Script played on Ragnor’s phone and they all sang along, waving their glasses in the air.  
-Spending our time like we are millionaires…- This was Alec’s favorite song, he told them about the time he and a friend of his named Zed hacked into the school system of the public high school in Cuba and played Millionaires on full blast through the whole school. Ragnor and Alec did have some things in common, they all sat together on the floor, nested in a pile of blankets and pillows Alec had stolen from the storage room, Magnus was a little unsteady so he started up leaning against Alec’s shoulder, but ended up with his head in his lap with let’s hands running through his hair, looking up at the ceiling singing along to “the man who can’t be moved”. Alec’s voice was beautiful, Ragnor told him so the moment he sung the first two words, but Ragnor was just like that, when he thought something or someone was pretty he said so. He had once told Magnus the philosophy behind this and now he told Alec.  
-I just think compliments are too rare, we usually give them for two reasons, one to be polite and two to get into someone’s pants. I believe that destroys their purpose, compliments should be made whenever we see something worthy of one. Whenever I think something or someone is beautiful I say so, when I find something funny I say so, when something or someone deserves to be complimented they should be complimented. It’s not making a move on someone, it’s just making someone’s day a little brighter.-This time it was Alec who repeated Ragnor’s words,  
-I like your style Fell-Ragnor laughed at that but Alec assured him this was a great realization so they decided to give each other compliment, but it soon got out of hand and looked something like this:  
-I really think your left knee has great potential Alec  
-Why thank you Ragnor, in my opinion Magnus’ right ear has an exquisite ability to perceive sound.  
-Indeed, but I can’t help but notice the way Ragnor’s gluteus Maximus sparkles under the moon light  
-Yes, it reflects the light like clear glass indeed  
-Well my gluteus Maximus is seriously fond of that sexy bellybutton of yours-And right then the nurse entered the room  
-What is going on here? And when did you get in here Mr. Lightwood?  
-Nurse Paulina, we meet again. I am deeply concerned for your patient’s sanity, I believe his name was Yakkin Sin, he resides on the 7th floor and last time I checked, he was trying to get his hands on some rope.  
-What?  
-Yakkin Sin, 7th floor room 376  
-Thank you Alexander, but this conversation isn’t over you hear me?  
-I hear you, but I don’t think Yakkin does.  
-God, you are nasty!-And she stormed out, the moment the door closed Alec burst out laughing  
-What was that?  
-Was this Yakkin seriously trying to hang himself?  
-Yakkin Sin? He has been moved to the first floor, he is now in the ICU, he had a bad asthma attack. But pauline doesn’t know that, she thinks I’m talking about George Yakkin, who but he way checked out this morning. And by he time she gets past security 4 times, runs back down to the first floor, making it 13 security checks, and finds out she got it all wrong and tries to get back here, it’ll be Christmas. Besides, her shift ends in 30 minutes, I doubt she’ll bother to come back up in her free time.-Now they were al laughing again, Alec really was smart and Magnus told him so  
-Told you, eighteen year old homosexual child prodigy with a great eye for details  
-Prodigy indeed-Magnus said  
-Homosexual indeed - Ragnor said and they all started laughing again. It was probably one of the greatest nights of Magnus’ life, and his ears’ ability to decipher sounds had never been complimented more.


	32. Chapter 32

-What’s wrong dude?-Was the question which awoke Magnus form his endless slumber, on second thought though, it had been that question and the fact that the world was shaking, an earthquake? Now?  
When his eyes adjusted to the bright light he noticed Ragnor starring at Alec, who by the way was shaking, he was hyperventilating. Magnus sat up, as he had been sleeping half curled into Alec. He looked at the silent ghost pale crying boy next to him.  
-What’s wrong?-Magnus asked though he knew Alec wouldn’t answer him with Ragnor right there, Actually, he didn’t even register their presence.  
-I don’t know, he just woke up and then started freaking out, breathing all heavy and crying, I ask him what the problem was, but he hasn’t made a single sound.  
-Alec hey, it’s al right  
Nothing  
-Just breath in and out, slowly in and out  
Nothing  
-It’s okay, take it slow  
Nothing  
-I need to take a piss-Ragnor commented, to which Magnus answered  
-You need to go to school  
-School? Are you serious? There is no way I’m leaving you!  
-Yes there is, and if I remember correctly, which I do, you need to pass chemistry and the exam is today.  
-I don’t give a damn about chemistry  
-Please Rags  
-Magnus  
-I’ll be fine  
-You sure?  
-Yes, now go  
-Okay, but you better call & text every 2 hours Bane, I want you to check in with me wherever you are.  
-Yes Sir  
Ragnor left and Alec was standing by the window, his hands clutching the metal bar that was supposed to give the illusion of a little balcony. Magnus had been right, as soon as his bestie left and Magnus asked for the fifth time, Alec seemed to hear him, to register his presence.  
-Alec, you can talk to me, I’ll help you. Sometimes talking helps-Alec breathing was a little slower than before, but still ragged.  
-…They are…they are dead…- His voice was so low and labored Magnus wasn’t even sure he had heard it right, they? Emir was one, but who else? Well, he could always ask later, when Alec wasn’t about to asphyxiate.  
-That’s it, tell me what wrong  
-Ev…Everything…- It had barely been a whisper, but Magnus’ heavily complimented ears heard it correctly.

 

 

Magnus had no degree in psychology or literature, but he had watched enough Criminal Minds to know, to understand, these weren’t just words, but a realization. He then realized, all those weeks ago at the Lightwood mansion, Alec hadn’t been just saying those words over and over again to Jace, Isabelle and him, “He’s dead”, he hadn’t been trying to make them understand, nor had he tried to hide something, he had been trying to convince himself.  
-Why? Why is it?  
-Why is what?-Isabelle Lightwoods cheerful and carefree voice echoed through the room even before she crossed the threshold  
-Yo what’s up man - Jace’s followed. Had Alec called them, did they know? And just when he thought things couldn’t get any more embarrassing Rafael/Raphael and a dark haired, dark eyed girl walked in behind them. He looked over at Alec and he was stunned. He could literally see every shift, every layer, every mask, being painted back on. And by the time he turned around and fully faced the visitors every single inch of the troubled blue eyed man had faded into the background.  
-Hey, watcha all doing here?  
-Traced your phone, what’s with all these cops Alejandro?-Rafael sounded annoyed, kind of angry actually  
-Witness protection, and you could have just called  
-Right-he didn’t buy it-And who is it?  
-Telling you kind of defeats the purpose of it, don’t you think?  
-Of course-Rafael/Raphael was furious by now, what was wrong with him?-And don’t you consider this a little radical?  
-Yeah man, the whole place is infested by them!-Izzy added-Are you sure dad is okay with all these policemen being pulled way from their tasks?  
-Yes, your sister is right Alejandro, who is covering for them? Who is making up for your paranoia?  
-You’d be surprised at how many crimes are committed every day and never reported, I don’t think it makes a difference.  
-What the fuck Alec? Are you high or something?-Great Jace, attack him, now he’ll talk to you. Magnus couldn’t believe the people’s inability to read their own partner, their own brother. It wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t impossible either.  
-Excuse me?  
-Are you drugged? What’s wrong with you? Of course it makes a difference! There are people getting mugged out there, people getting murdered and raped! And you are sitting here just starring out the window flirting with Bane?  
-Jace!  
-Shut up Izzy! I won’t buy this bullshit anymore, we have been trying SO hard to make up for everything to you, and you keep pushing us away, you keep hiding. Quit it!  
-That’s enough  
-Since when do you get to tell be what’s enough bitch?-he spat at the tall skinny girl dressed in black leather next to Rafael/Raphael. - I’ll say when it’s enough, and right now it isn’t!  
-Yes, it is. And if you were half as smart as you pretend to be, don’t roll your eyes young lady-she said looking at Isabelle-This includes you too, he may say it, but you think it. If you want to storm in here and just shout around pretending you know what’s going on, pretending you are intelligent enough to figure it out, mature enough to understand it. You have no idea what you are talking about, nor do you know who you are talking to. You may be related, but let me tell you this, even Magnus of there knows what’s going on with your brother better than you do, and he is on his way to understand, on his way to figuring things out. And in my absolute honest opinion, he is way closer than you guys, by far.-She put extra emphasis on the last word, as if to make it clear how ahead of them Magnus was, which by the way, he didn’t think he was.  
-And who are you?-Izzy shot back-Who are you to tell me when to shut up, who are you to insult me and assume Bane is closer to Alec than me?  
-I’m Lily, and I’m your brother’s private behavior analyst.  
-His what?  
-Who the fuck care?! Alec, tell her to fuck off or I’ll kick her out myself, and it won’t be through the door.  
-Right behind my breakfast…- Magnus muttered, he thought he said it low enough so no one would hear him, not even Aled who had moved to sit in the chair next to his bed. But apparently his voice was somewhat damaged and it came out a little louder than expected. He looked down when all eyes turned on him, usually he would have stared them down, but he wasn’t up to it. The meds were wearing off and the dull pulsing inside him became stronger by the minute. When he looked sideways he could see Alec smiling, grinning at the memory and then whispering back, he did manage to pull of an actual whisper  
-Maybe she’ll meet your dinner along the way…- Magnus grinned too, a small grin, but big enough to get Wayland’s unwanted attention.  
-Stop flirting with my brother and Alec focus. What the fuck is going on? I’m gonna tell all these cops to go back to whatever they were doing before getting dragged here.  
-You are not-Alec’s head didn’t even move, he kept his stare on his hands, but the grin had disappeared. Well done Ms.Lightwood…  
-Yes I am  
-No you are not  
-Give us one reason not to, one reason not to get these officers back to the streets, back to protecting people who actually need it.-Alec did his infamous laugh/sigh and started talking calmly, slowly. His voice was hard and his gaze ascended as the words left his lips.  
-How stupid do you think I am? No actually, how stupid have you become? Do you seriously believe these “officers” are random cops picked up at random stations to stand in some random hospital to protect a random witness connected to a random crime? I though I knew you, but that’s all I did, knew you. I’m not the one that’s changed, you are. Five years ago you would have noticed all these “officers” are wearing the same uniform. How would they be dressed identically if they were from random precincts? Why is it that none of these random officers know who they are protecting? Why is it that you assume these people are random officers? Why do you assume they are police at all? My sister would have noticed the fact that these people aren’t actually random cops, but random people. My brother would have noticed none of these people fit the profile of a cop I would choose. They aren’t in shape, they aren’t smart, they are far too static, they don’t wander the halls, they aren’t cops. You were right about them being random, they just aren’t random cops, but random people!  
-What?-Rafael/Raphael laughed at Izzy and Jace’s reactions, he ha known all along, and form the smirk on Lily’s lips, sh had known too.-You sure are stupid kids-she added  
-I’m not high on some drug Jace, I’m high on reality. I’m so fucking high on life, it’s eating me up. And you aren’t even aren’t even aware. You aren’t even capable of understanding what is going on. This isn’t some game, this isn’t a stupid FBI spy the teacher shit. The last job we did, before you and Izzy got out, you don’t remember what it was do you?  
-No, but what-  
-Nor do you Iz  
-Alec, just let u-  
-You don’t remember because you aren’t supposed to.  
-Alejandro-  
-No Rafael, esto no es un juego. Dejó de serlo hace mucho tiempo y probablemente nunca lo fue. Magnus, no es el primero, y no es el último.  
-Lo sé, y si quieres proteger a tus hermanos no les cuentes nada, envíalos de vuelta a Inglaterra.  
-N0, es tarde. Moore salió hace 14 horas, tenia que haber llegado hace 5. Los reportajes forenses son falsificaciones, están modificados, los cadáveres han desaparecido y yo no me voy a quedar aquí sentado esperando a que asesinen mi familia.  
-Okay, stop. I took Spanish for a year, but please English  
-You don’t remember because eye weren’t supposed to. As long as you are oblivious, you are safe. That was the last rule, and now it has been broken too. People change and rules change with them.  
-What do you mean, please no more riddles Alec  
-You were drugged so you wouldn’t remember who you were spying on. You were sent away so this individual wouldn’t get to you, a deal was made. In exchange of the erasing of your memory of said event, you would be left out of all deals. You wouldn’t be filed anywhere, you would obtain diplomatic immunity, you would be off limits.  
-Off limit of what? What deals?-Jace sounded more interested than angry, Izzy’s eyes were growing bigger by the second, Lily had left and Rafael/Raphael stood with his back against the wall shaking his head in disapproval. Magnus had no idea of what was going on.  
-Does the term black market mean anything to you?  
-Yeah, illegal is the first thing popping up in my head  
-Well, the black market is a Walmart compared to what Valentine Morgenstern is running.  
-Morgenstern?  
-Shut up Bane! Go back to sleep or just fuck off, nobody wants you here.  
-His name is Magnus and just as you won’t shut up when Lily tells you to, he won’t shut up when you tell him so. You have no right to treat him or anyone this way. Those words could ruin someone’s life Jace. I don’t mean Magnus right here, if that’s what you are wondering about, but I already told you, control yourself. One day the worn per-  
-I know I know, the wrong guy will react the wrong way and I’ll be in trouble and I’ll die and you’ll throw a party because all your troubles will be resolved, now back to this Morgenstern business  
Alec looked at Jace for a long time before turning to Rafael/Raphael  
-Maybe you were right  
-No, he wasn’t, tell us! We came all the way here to check on you and you won’t even tell us why all these false-cops are standing around, who is the witness and what is this horrible business?  
-Thee is a potential witness in this hospital in need of protection, which he is receiving.  
-From whom? You?  
-From 67 CIA undercover agnates disguised as patients, doctors and nurses. The lady at the form desk, her name is Natalia Vasquez, she has arrested 72 serial killers, fought in Vietnam and saved thousands of people’s lives. People who have no idea who's she is, who have no idea what she did for them. She takes no credit for anything, she had a kidney transplant two months ago and couldn’t find a blood donor with O-. So I offered and now, two months later, she is helping keep my friend safe by giving up he vacation to stand at the front desk of some hospital for 72 hours straight profiling ever single person who enters and exists this building. So there is protection,there is a witness, and there is danger. Did you think I’d just put cops all over the place so the un-sub could identify them right away? Of course not, these people pretending to be cops are people who own me a favor. They are here to make the un-sub feel inclined, in fact obligated, to talk to a doctor, nurse, patient or visitor. Which brings him to talk to a highly trained field officer. Three quarters of these undercover cops know about the profile, they will identify the un-sub, the remaining agents have seen the suspect or had a personal connection of some kind with him, of which they will recognize him too. You come in here thinking I’m getting high on meds, but you don’t really know what I’m doing here,do you? From the moment I got into this room, every single cop, false and real, has been reporting to me and do you know what? The un-sub ha seen caught and is now being interrogated. However, such a dangerous criminal wouldn’t be operating alone, meaning that he or she would have found out where I am and tried to contact me, to get a feeling for what they are dealing with. It would have been someone highly interested in my actions, someone following my every move, someone who need reassurance. Someone who had to comment on what they were observing, someone submissive, someone who needs to find out about the cals of my actions but can’t resist to subconsciously let whoever is there know what the have achieved, giving themselves away immediately. Now, Magnus, who had shown particular interest in my actions?  
-I don’t know…Mm…Well, there was this nurse when I first woke up who kept informing me on your failed attempts to get in to my room.  
-She wasn’t a nurse, if you ask me, she wasn’t even a human being. Amatis Garroway works for Morgenstern and was here with Hotch in order to murder Magnus Bane by giving him an overdose of antibiotics. This is why you have been so calm Magnus, why you constantly fell asleep. Why you din't feel a damn thing, the dose had been injected before I could get into the room. That was only the first shot, as I waist the room, they couldn’t proceed with their original plan, nor could they continue to throw me out as 48 hour shad already passed and no family member had made an attempt to stop me. Manning, that by law, I was allowed to stay. I figured they would try the typical food poisoning, which is the reason I got rid of it. The next try was the so called “gas leak”, they leak a poisons gas developed with Jin Fen in to the air conduct, however, I expect this too. I studied science for 4 years and it is common knowledge Jin Fen loses its power and influence over a person once they have ingested soy sauce, as they contain chemical opposites which when brought together neutralize each other. And the smoke of certain Japanese candles produced in the mid-west of Japan thins it too, so it didn’t work. The final idea was to get you over here and cause a distraction, you would be hysterical and in order to leave Magnus out of this I would have asked you to leave the room with me, or the un-sub could have inserted himself into the scene with the pretext of being bothered by the noise, which you sure nearly managed, but the fact that Lily and Rafael came along just like I asked them to, enabled the un-sub to pull it off as this character would be immediately identified when trying to get past Lily without being awkward.  
-Wow…- Magnus couldn’t focus, the pain was getting intenser and the thought that all this, everything Alec had done, had been a set up, to protect him, but still a set up made him feel a certain way  
-Wow indeed-Izzy mumbled as Jace shook his head and Lily stared ta Alec, boring her eyes into him as if he had suddenly been reborn. Just Rafael/Raphael clicked his tongue and walked out without a single word. Magnus looked over to Alec and saw him shaking his head ever so slightly with the smallest smile playing on his lisp.  
-Damn Alec, you are a fucking genius, you know that right?  
-I’ve been told so, but it doesn’t really convince me, know what I mean?  
-Your sister is serious Alejo, this is immersive, as in outstanding. Why?  
-Why what Lilliana?  
-You know what I’m asking you, the same old why, the same old damned question that drives me nuts inside every time I see you.-Excuse me? What was she talking about? Apparently Jace ha date same question and so did Izzy as they both blurted out at the same time:  
-What question?  
-Why be a soldier when you can be a leader? Why risk your life every day on the street, why stay here, why risk everything for nothing? Why care so much about New York when you could go back to Europe?-She looked so anxious to find out the answer she actually caught her breath in her throat when he looked up at her, stared her in the eye and eve so casually spoke.  
-Why does Batman need to safe Gotham?-And with those words he smiled at his own irony and left the room, leaving a bunch of stunned human being amaze out other minds behind.

-Because it’s part of him  
-Huh?  
-Gotham, it is part of Batman. That’s why he saves it.  
-So you are batman fan Bane? Hm, would never have guessed that, you rather strike me as a Gossip Girl kind of chick. Don’t you think sis? I mean with all the glitter and gossip and all, just look at his friends, Ragnor is Blair, Camille Serena and Magnus of there goes with little J-Usually Magnus would have laughed, and shot right back teasing about how much he knew about the show, but the actual fact that he had been pictured as little Jenny Humphrey who nearly got raped by Chuck was too much of a cruel joke, even if Jace ha don idea why he was here, or what had happened to him. Sometimes people just say the wrong thing. And once again Alec’s words cam dot him; Those words could ruin someone’s life Jace. This mysterious zephyr eyes boy was wise beyond his years. Just as Magnus was scared beyond his.  
-Hey Bane, I was just kidding man-Magnus hadn’t realized he had started crying until Jace hand was on his shoulder, he looked at Magnus from above him. It wasn’t arrogant, but somehow pitiful. He din’t want anyone’s pity, he didn’t need it. Magnusssssss you are so tight…I know you like it little fag. The had on his shoulder became heavier by the second, he was back on the table, the pain started pulsating through him, harder every time. The air became thicker, his body was to small to contain him, he needed space, shit why was everything so small.  
-What the fuck Jace!  
-I didn’t do anything! I was just kidding! Why is he here anyway? What the hell is going on?  
-He is hyperventilating, entering the first phase of a panic. The trauma is starting to kick in as the meds wear off. It would be great if you stopped grabbing his shoulder and went looking for your brother.-When just Jace moved she pointedly looked at Isabelle-You too Isabelle. Move it, he needs space and right now your fat asses are taking up most of it.  
-But leaving is exactly the distraction the un-sub planned for!  
-Exactly, now find your brother.  
-What? That totally defeats the plan!  
-Magnus is about to choke. You can stick to the plan or save his life. I say go. NOW!  
And she left too, leaving magnesia little more space, but well, it was use dup quickly.

They silently left and Lily opened the window, free he gun and stood next to Magnus’ head waiting. He could see every muscle flexing though the tight leather but it all happened in a haze, as if someone was filming in slow motion with cellophane covering the lens. Voice echoed through the room but he couldn’t make anything out, was this a dream? Who was standing over him? Magnusssssss, fuck no, please no, god no, no, please, let me go, no, pain shot through him, through his legs, tightening very single muscle in them, up his torso and into his chest, it felt like his inside was trying to get out, to leave his body. Pushing against his skin. His head was looking up at the ceiling, his neck tensed backwards, nail digging into flesh but not feeling.  
-“Look out!”  
-“left”  
-“Iz!”  
-“Fine, got it”  
-“Take her up, Lily take him and Jace call Robert”  
-“On it”  
Something landed on him, then it was gone, then back and gone again. The world was beginning to fade, the sound blurred together and finally the pain was leaving. It was nearly gone, when something slammed into him, no, it didn’t slam into him, it slammed under him. Was he flying?  
-“Stay with me, stay here Magnus. You heard me? Don’t let go, don’t you dare leave me Magnus!”  
Who as this voice again? Was there an earthquake? Who knew, at least the pain had left, he was so tired and it was so dark, so wonderfully dark. Let go of what?

 

 

-“Will you stop running around! You are making me nervous!”  
-“Sorry”-he sat down on the counter, head din his hands and when Camille thought he was gonna stay put and turned around he had already hopped off and was waling back and forth again.  
-“Lightwood!” “Sit down! Cat won’t do Magnus any good if you bump into her or continue making us nervous! STAU PUT!”-The damned boy just wouldn’t stop pacing upa nd down running his hands though his hair so much Camille feared he would end up bald.  
-“Sorry”-He apologized again and sat down at the bright neon greet glass table, head in his hands, hands running over his face, hands clasping and unclasping, hands tugging at hair, hands digging their nails into their owners scalp, arms, temples. She couldn’t understand what was going on with him, why was he with Magnus? What had happened to Magnus to get him to panic and what had cat called it? Never mind, some severe black out thing, but why was Lightwood here? Why was armed, bloody and stressed out of his mind?  
-What happened? Lightwood, what happened? What is wrong with Magnus, why did he panic? Answer me! You just brought one of my best friends in here half dead and won’t even tell me what’s going on? Talk to me! Please!  
-“By the angel, stop asking questions! Why does every single person in this planet think I hold the answer to all their questions?!”  
-“Well, sorry but I need to know and you will tell me!”  
-“Shut up guys!”  
-“Sorry Cat…”  
-“I’m sorry Camille, I truly am. You have to believe that, but I can’t answer any questions-  
-“Yes yo-  
-“No, you don’t understand, I want to, but I can’t. The moment I tell you what you are asking, you are dead. My job is nowhere rear ordinary, nor safe. Magnus got involved and look where it got him, you don’t want to be the next. I don’t want you to be next, so stay out of it. You are smart, and you know, I know you know, sometimes it’s best to trust it when someone tells you “you don’t want to know” and right now, you need to trust me, you don’t want to know, it’s not worth it.”  
She looks him straight in the eye, for a long time she studied him. He was handsome, he was exactly Magnus’ type. But there was something oddly disturbing about him, something wasn’t right, something was out of place. He looked so confident the last time she saw him, he spent a night with ranger and Magnus at the hospital (Ragnor told her everything) now he was worried sick about her bestie, and then he was telling her to trust him she didn’t want to know what happened. Trust me it’s not worth it, he struck her as someone who beside the fact that he was highly intelligent, handsome and probably brave and honest above all, his work, he himself, wasn’t acknowledged, at least not by the right person. She was an expert at reading people, and from 3 times she met this dude, she knew, he once wore his heart on his sleeve and it got ripped off.  
-I” trust you, but tell me, what’s your story? Nothing related to work or anything, just you. People don’t just pop up out of nowhere, they come from somewhere. And something tells me you’ve come a long way”.-He made the wise decision to talk, very wise. He rubbed his eyes with his left hand, covered his mouth and then clasped them both on the table. Looked down, looked back at her and looked down again. When he spoke again, his voice was anything but stay, anything but confident, anything but fake. This was real, focus Camille, study time.  
-“What do you fear most Alexander?”-It sure was rare for her to call him by his fore name, he better appreciate it.  
-“I…I fell in love…and it ended, everything ends, nothing lasts, nothing is meant to last, but everything is meant to end”  
-“Maybe, it really depends on what you are talking about”  
-“What once came together must eventually fall apart, just like the Big Bang brought the Milky way together, just like our sun was born from it, it will one day tear it apart. The sun will die and we’ll die with it. Because eventually, everything ends. It’s frustrating how even we are bound to end, we think we control our life, we think we are the ones making choices, pulling he strings, but in reality, we aren’t. Humanity is just one big giant puppet. All strings attached, move one, the others move with it. Kill one, kill all. Take one, take all. Cut one off, break the whole thing. We do make decisions, just not for ourselves. Sometimes I feel like we share a planet, but not a world. Right now billions of people are suffering, but as we don’t know them, we are oblivious of it. We exist on the same planet and sleep under the same sky, but we live in different worlds, parallel worlds. Mine wouldn’t exist without my parents’, but it exists with or without your world. I fear, one day my world won’t matter, I fear one day I’ll make a decision and unconsciously destroy someone’s world, I don’t want to sit and watch, I don’t want to read the story, but be part of it. I fear not being good enough for it, not having the strength or the courage to face the story, to one day read it and see all my mistakes, all the people I lost and not be able to go back and change it.”  
-“You can’t change the past Alec, but you can change the future. You can’t make a difference in the past, but you can make one right now.”-Wow, Alec did come a long way, he wasn’t high school prodigy kind of smart, nor was he the colleague genius kind of smart. He was intelligent, the type of intelligence that goes deep down in you, he was so intelligent he found flaws in himself nobody could have seen, he was hard on himself, he probably had trouble with his sexuality, thinking it over and over, knowing how many things could go wrong. Constantly wighting the possibilities of success and defeat. She had once heard of a girl who committed suicide because her brain wouldn’t stop thinking. She couldn’t shut it off, couldn’t sleep, couldn’t rest, couldn’t live.  
-“You don’t sleep do you?”  
-“…Not often”-He looked down, he looked so damn tired, he was naturally pale, making the rings under his eyes stand out even more. She knew from experience not to push these situations so she didn’t  
-“Whenever you need anything, a place to stay, someone to talk to, help with anything, you come here. You call me, understand?”-she wasn’t quite sure of what she was doing, but she just felt this overpowering need to help him, to make this troubled man’s life a little easier, to contribute to his world, to make his world a little less parallel.  
-“Thanks”-He looked up, those huge dark blue yes of his had a small spark in them, and Camille immediately felt relief wash over her, she hadn’t even realized she was so anxious for him to accept her help, to let her in. And when he did it felt great, knowing you made the smallest change in your world caused a spark in someone else’s.  
-“Cam, Alec, he’s fine. Sound asleep, try not to wake him. Please.”  
-“Thank you”-Alec looked twice as relieved as Camille felt just seconds before. She got the feeling Alec might not be the life of the party, but he sure had some life inside him. He was intense, he might not get to live as much as his siblings, but what he got, he lived every fucking second of it.  
-“When will he wake up?”  
-No idea, but you should get some sleep Cat, you look nearly as bad as Alec”  
-“Don’t you go insulting me like that”-They joked around for a little longer, now that the tension was gone and Mags was all right, but when she did decide to go to bed she found Cat had put Magnus in her bed, obviously. When she and her friend walked further into the room to get some pajamas for her and Cat they saw the Alec sitting next to the bed, holding the sleeping boy’s hand between both of his, leaning his head on them. His frame shook ever so lightly.  
-“Is he crying?”-Camille mouthed  
-“Go, go”-Catrina mouthed back, leaving the boys behind. Just when they closed the door behind them and walk into the living room to camp on the hot green couch and futon they dare dot whisper.  
-“What the hell?”  
-“He cares more than I thought”-Cat whispered back-“The moment we started talking he slipped away into your room. I mean, he even stayed with Magnus at the hospital for DAYS. I don’t complain, he can watch out for Mags as much as he likes, but why do these things all happen to him? He doesn’t deserve it, no one does, but certainly not Magnus”  
-“Yeah…I feel so useless, like Magnus moved into another world…”  
-“Huh? Where did you get that from?”  
-“Alec, he’s pretty deep and on top he is freaking intelligent as hell. He told me about this theory of his, more like a fear, that we share a planet, but not a world. We live in parallel worlds, the choices we make don’t influence out world, but other people’s worlds. We don’t control our life, but the one of people around us. He also had this picture, of humanity being one big giant puppet, pull one string, move all. Cut one, hurt all.”  
-“So Magnus’ type…”  
-“Yes, it’s just sad Magnus is everyone else's type…”  
-“He’ll heal, it’ll leave a scar, but it will stop bleeding and I have got a feeling Alec is just the right surgeon”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for any spelling mistakes, summer vacations don't exactly trigger my grammar;)


	33. Chapter 33

-“You know, I noticed you calling him by his first name…”  
-“Yeah…”  
-“So…?”  
-“So what?”  
-“Come on Camille, you know what I mean”  
-“No I don’t”  
-“Yes, you do”-Catrina grin din the dark, her blue eyes shinning bright. Camille had always envied her bf’s strange doctor friend’s eyes, she had blue eyes too, but her’s looked rather cold, Cat’s didn’t sparkle like Magnus’ nor did they constantly wink like Ragnor’s, but they were so damn kind. She constantly saw people pouring their soul out to her, voluntarily!!!  
-“Nope. Not the slightest clue”  
-“I think you do, and you’re scared to admit it”  
-“No way”  
The doorbell rang, once, twice, three times, four, five. Pounding on the door, six, seven, pounding, Cat gets up and walks over while whispering over her shoulder:  
-“You like him”  
-“I’ve got a girlfriend and I would never date someone in mismatched socks”  
-“I didn’t mean boyfriend like, just normal like. Hello, how can I help you in the middle of the night, or shall I say morning?”-Her voice was friendly though her words weren’t, Camille bet her eyes looked kind as fuck. The voices were low, and kind of far away but she still understood every single syllable.  
-“Yeah hi, my man Alexander is staying here and he called me over”  
-“Your man Alexander?”  
-“Si señora, may I come in?”  
-“Just a second”-she walked back, past camille giving her a “what the hell?” look and walking into the bedroom.

 

-“Alec, a friend of yours is here”  
-“Black eyes, short curls, cigarette behind his ear, dark skin, speaks Spanish?”  
-“Yes, you want me to get him in here or somewhere else?”  
-“The kitchen please, and thank you Catrina”  
-“It was nothing, now stop thanking me any go get your guy out of my hair”  
-“Yes ma’am, could you let him in, I’ll be right there”  
-“Sure, just make it quick, I hate small talk”  
-“Oh believe me, he doesn’t do small talk, not by far”-Camille could literally hear the smile in that. Cat came back shaking her head and walking back to the front door to let the dude in. As it turned out, he was quite good looking, somewhere between 17 and 20 maybe. With these guys it was hard to tell, cigarette behind his ear, black suitcase in his hand and a skip in his step he followed cat into the kitchen. Camille joined them and under the bright kitchen light she could see tattoos running all over the guy’s arms, hands, fingers, neck, everything. His army jacket had been thrown over a chair and he was sitting up some kind of equipment. Looked like painting stuff, no wait, needle, tattoos, of course.  
-“You got any water I could borrow?”  
-“Sure, just take any glass you like, they are right behind you and there’s water from he tap or some drinking water in the fridge. What was your name again?”  
-“I’m the Riptide miss, gonna pull you out all the way just to throw you back into my verse lady”  
-“Excuse me?”-Camille had to laugh at that, Cat wasn’t the exact flirting expert you would say  
-“Excused my lady, you got any tequila around here ma’am?”  
-“No idea, do we?”-she asked Camille, why did everyone ask her about his kind of stuff?  
-“Yep, right next to the vodka, third cabinet to the left”-As soon as the guy turned around he started humming again, actually, he had never stopped. He talked as if he was rapping and walked as if he was dancing, throwing some footwork in here and there.  
-“Fill me up that margarita, granted with a señorita, oh jay…”  
-“Where’d you get those lyrics?”  
-“Emblem3 Miss, by the way, love the way you roll”  
-“Hm?”  
-“Open shirt, lace bra and goofy pjs, damn I’m love with you, por la señorita!”-He said as he took a drink from his tall glass filed with whatever he had mixed together, it was his problem if she wasn’t wearing her shirt “closed”, her damn house, her rules. And if he loved it, so be it.  
-“Great, I hate you, now down to business, what the hell are you doing here?”  
-“My man needs to get high, I’ll drive him right up the Everest a thousand mieles a second. Heck, if my man needed a freaking heart transplant he could have mine delivered in his freaking mailbox the minute he asked!”  
-“High?   
-“Yes ma’am, as high as the Empire State Building”  
-“Are we talking about the same person?, You man, he’s tall, black hair blue eyes, smart as fuck and gay?”  
-“Must be him, though I’d hate to fins out he isn’t gay cuz I ain’t wanna tell my sis I slept with her boss and he didn’t like it”-He laughed, Camille laughed too, it was funny, this guy was growing on her, never admit it though.  
-“You dated Alec? But wasn’t he in Spain for like an eternity?”  
-“Yes, ma’am, happened I was there too. It does make things easier when you travel together doesn’t it?”  
-“And what’s with this Emir Ragnor talked about?”-Cat asked  
-“Yeah, weren’t they engaged?”-Camille joined the interrogation  
-“Emir, good guy, never met anyone funnier in my life. He sure knew how to life if you know what I mean ladies. Never missed them…Not a single freaking concert, not one. He and Alexander would get up on the stage with whoever was playing. People loved them, and they sure had moves. I reckon, he still owns our Kate that tango from new year’s ”  
-“Emir died in a plane crash”-Cat’s voice was tentative, more like a question than a statement  
-“Fucking tragedy, amazing explosion though! Put every 4th. Of July to shame.”  
-“What? This was your friend’s fiancé! How can you say that?”  
-“Wow, cool it woman, I just said it was damn good explosion. Emir would have love it”  
-“Loved it?”  
-“Sure, he loved explosions, said they were some kind of beauty, he and ma boy had this theory, the joining of beauty and tragedy, tragedy is beautiful-”  
-“And beauty is tragic”-Cat jumped at Alec’s voice, clime turned around on her high chair by the counter and “Riptide” clapped his hands once, got up, and did this strange half hug thing all guys do.  
-“How ya doing man! haven’t heard from you since the man landed on the moon”  
-“One day you’ll read a book and you’ll reach enlightenment Mask”  
-“Sure, but…I know some day thins will all turn around…”  
-“Because all my life I’v been waiting for, waiting for the people to say, that we don’t wanna fight a war and there’ll be no more wars and our children will pray, one day, one day, one da-ay…”-Alec and his guy had walked over to the table where all these needles and tubes were set up, next to some whit towels and the glass of water.  
-“…One day this will change, treat people the same, so stop with the violence, down with the hate…”-They sung and rapped, as if they had done this a million times. Alec tapped his foot to the soundless beat while the other guy pretended to play the guitar.  
-“…Sometimes in my tears I drown, I won’t ever let it get me down, and when negativity surrounds, I know some day this will all turn around…”-Damn, Alec’s voice was as awesome as Ragnor ha made it out to be. And the other guy just had the beat in his veins, it flew through him, the rhythm of the song seemed to blend in with his pulse. It was weird, amazing and well, excluding. She looked over at cat who looked as stunned as she felt, leave dover and whispered  
-“What the heck?”  
-“I know right?”  
-“I thought you said you were gonna get high?”-Camille implied  
-“Sure, on ink my lady”  
-“High? Seriously?”-Alec looked at his guy raising his left eyebrow, giving him a lop side grin.  
-“Yo, it’s one way to call it dude”  
-“If you say so, I guess it must be master masker”  
-“Shut up smartypants, that was one time and we all know who the master in this room is, don’t we ladies?”  
-“What exactly is going on?”-Cat sure hated not knowing what was going on, special when there were needles involved  
-“Oh yeah”-Alec said as if he had totally forgotten it wasn’t as obvious to them as it was to him-“I felt like getting a new tattoo, and the masker mate happened to be in town, so I thought, why not? And here we are. Umm, we used to be in the same band for some time, if that clears things up a little for you”  
-“Whatever, I’m gonna go check on Magnus, make sure you sterilize those needles first”  
-“Come on Cat, leave the boys to die of an infection by themselves before the plague spreads”  
Alec and the “masker master” laughed at that, but heir chatter, or rather rapping, dissolved into the darkness as they entered Magnus’ room. Camille stayed with him while cartoon fished Alec’s cell out of his leather jacket and looked for his sister’s number. She told camille she didn’t think the whole high thing was a joke, Alec might seem all right, cool and relaxed at first, but hose mood swing form nerve wreck, to grateful, to chill as fuck just weren’t normal and all this getting high and this strange guy, there was something off about the whole thing. Camille could only agree.

-“Hey, this is Catrina, a friend of Alec’s, is this Isabelle?”  
-“Yeah, that would be me, whatcha need?”  
-“Your brother is here, with some guy he calls the masker master, you know him?”  
-“No…Is Alec in trouble?  
-“No, not at all, but, how do I put this politely?”  
-“Just spit it out”  
-“Is he taking drugs?”  
-“WHAT? ALEC?”  
-“Yeah, I don’t knwo for sure, but this masker master dude was atlking about getitng high and everything, and donating hearts, nd now he is tattooing on your brother’s back. Is this normal?”  
-Ah…yes…Well, he gets tatoos all the time, I have some myself, Jace too. It kind of runs in the family, athoguh Alec has the most by far”  
-“Okay, so there is nothing to worry about?”  
-“No, I guess not. Just…”  
-“Just?”  
-“…Don’t bother him after th etattoo is done,I can’t really tell you why, just…just leave him alone…”  
-“Okay, thanks, bye”  
-“No wait!”  
-“Waht is it?”  
-“Is Magnus okay?”-This surprised Cat big time, did she know about Magnus? Did she even care?  
-“Yes, he is sleeping now. Why did you ask?”  
-“I…I don’t really know. I just feel really bad, I mean, I was there at the hospital and not once did I ask him what was wrong, or why he was there. I figured if I asked now maybe it would make up a little, I don’t know…”  
-“He’s fine, really”  
-“Okay thanks, good night  
-“Night”

Cat told Camille about the conversation while she tried to brush Magnus’ silky coal black hair as gently as possible. Camille finally fell asleep next to Magnus, Cat took a shower and put on some fluffy pjs Cam always kept for her. Sh knew camille wasn’t all that fond of her, but she and Magnus were good friends, she got along with Ragnor pretty well too, so they made the best of it. Which wasn’t bad at all, Camille really was great, just not Catrina’s type of crowd. he again, neither were Magnus nor Ragnor.  
When she walked back into he living room to snug into the huge green couch with all those amazing soft blankets she passed the small balcony and spotted Alec sitting there. On the black metal railing, on let on it, the other swinging in the void. Head leaned back against the wall gazing up at the sky, his lips were slightly partnered and his eyes a thousand miles away. He sat there, this huge shirtless guy with fresh ink all over his back, torso and shoulders on this 3 inch wide metal bar 300 feet from the New York pavement. He looked, well, high. His posture, his gaze, those partnered lips, the illusion of being completely relaxed…He looked freaking drugged and all he got was a tattoo, unless there was something int he ink…Sh made a mental note to ask him later, Isabelle said not to Bothe him, so she wouldn’t.

 

Hours later, when the sun invaded the apartment and Catrina woke up, against her will, but well, once awake, there’s no way back. She looked around, sure the sun wouldn’t have woken here, she slept with open curtains and it never bothered her. Then she spotted the source of her sleep loss. Alexander Lightwood stood in the kitchen, wearing only black boxers, looking around in th cabinets.  
-“Can I help you with something?”  
-“Huh?”  
-“Are you looking for something?”  
-“Yeah yeah, you got any coffee? This kitchen is like a maze!”  
-“It is, second drawer across from you”-She laughed at Alec’s expression of triumph when he found the coffee and put it int he machine. Camille loved these expresso cups. Alec took about 3.  
-“Wow, you planning on staying up for a week?”  
-“I fear I do, I really hate not being able to focus, it’s so annoying when you are tired enough you can’t think but awake enough you can’t sleep”  
-“Yep, I get that too. Um Alec?”  
-“Yes”  
-“Can I ask you something rather personal?”  
-“I’ll do my best to answer”  
-“Yesterday, your friend told us about getting high, but then you only got a tattoo, and just before going to bed I passed the balcony and saw you there. Is there something int he ink?”  
-“Oh…See…It’s kind of hard to explain…”  
-“No it isn’t”-Catrina hated it when users tried to come up with excuses, either you sed or not, there was nothing in the middle.  
-“No…It’s not like you think…There’s nothing in the ink but ink, it’s just…God…This is kind of weird, do you ever feel like you can’t control anything anymore?”  
-“Not really, not as if I can’t control a single thing, I feel helpless or useless sometimes, but not liek I can’t control anything”  
-“Well I do, and there are a lot of things I’d like to forget, like addicts who try to escape reality by getting high”  
-“You get high on ink to escape reality? And the FBI lets you get away with it?”  
-“Well, they think of it as vanity, no big deal. You’d be amazed at how many of my partners got tattoos…But they don’t know, no one really does. You can do drugs, others cut, some murder, I tattoo. It’s crazy, I know it is, but it works, and that’s all the reason I need. So I guess you could say I get high, just not on heroine, but on tattoos…”  
-“I’ve never heard of anything like it…tattoos instead of drugs. You are one piece of work Mr.Lightwood.”-he laughed at that and his whole face lit up  
-“You’d be surprised at how often I get that, mostly from angry grandparents who are just like; Alec eat some more cookies, and I’m about to explode, there’s literally cookie dough coming out of my ears and they are just like, you are too skinny, I can see your ribs boy, when I was your age…And the horror begins”

-“Wow, who got Cat doubling over with laughter, he shall receive a trophy!”  
-“Shut up Fell”-Cat breather, it was just, the way he told the story, it wasn’t that funny, but his expression, his gestures, his voice, he was so intense. He made you live it, you could see yourself sitting across from him, nearly exploding with some old lady standing there stuffing a cookie in his mouth.  
-“Ah, I see someone has made himself at home! Nice ass Lightwood, a master piece really”  
-“Why thank you, I had it carved right after yours”-They all burst out laughing again until Alec excused himself to go get dressed, taking his huge black coffee with him  
-“Is he seriously going to drink that? That was like a double black coffee with no sugar!”  
-“Triple, and he took the strong ones”  
Ragnor made a face at that, he hated coffee, tea or anything that wasn’t labeled aquarius for that matter.  
-“I’m serious about his ass”  
-“Never doubted it”  
-“No, l’m serious. That guy must work out 7 hours a day, did you see those muscles? He puts any CK model to shame!”  
-“I’m surprised you noticed, I though most people would notice the tattoos, I mean, he’s practically dressed in them! ”  
-“Sure they are cool, but that ass…”  
-“Since when do you guys have inside jokes, haven’t you met hi like less that 48 hours ago?”  
-“Yeah, he’s cool”  
-“Now don’t you go stealing Magnus’ next bf”  
-“Next, the already are preachily married! He cares for him as if he was his freaking brother! He never left that hospital room, not once. The place was flooded with cops, security everything. He brought Magnus’ favorite food, even candles so we wouldn’t be illuminated by the stupid ugly hospital neon light after Magnus commented on it. He let Magnus sleep on his lap! I’m telling you, married and we never knew.”  
-“Married who?”-they both flung around to greet their friend, who made a face at the noise  
-“MAGNUS!”  
-“Easy there, I feel like shit…”  
-“You sure look the part…”  
-“Why thank you mr. fell!”  
-“ And…how are you feeling?”-cat asked her voice full of concert  
-“Just the way I look”  
-“That’s be great if today was a Monday, but it’s Sunday and all shops are closed”-Ragnor was already thinking about shopping, typical.  
-“Morning”-Camille said, Cat noticed how she looked stunning, and she literally rolled out of bed, like literally not as in a Victoria’s secret magazine, but as in she hasn’t even brushed her teeth and she already is beautiful.  
-“Morning, want coffee?”-Magnus said as he made his way over to the coffee machine  
-“Not really”  
-“Any plans”-Ragnor asked  
-“Well, I’m going over to my baby’s house, and for the rest I assume Cat’s gonna study for her doctor thing, Ragnor will go online shopping and I think I heard our Mr.Bond is planning on taking Magnus back to his place for witness care or something like that.  
-“Witness protection”  
-“There goes the grammar again”  
-“It’s vocabulary actually”

 

Magnus wasn’t lying, he really felt bad. He already puked twice, then puked again after seeing his reflection in the mirror above the sink. Took a shower, probably the longest shower in history. He felt so dirty, he felt hands running all over him, the soap just wouldn’t work, he could “see” the dirty trails those hands left on his body, like poisonous scars, demonic runes. He got dressed in a pair of black sweats and a matching black tank top over which he threw a hoodie he guessed was Camille’s last ex’s. She made a habit out of keeping her ex’s clothes, and taking into account her dating life, her closet grew pretty fast. No need for shopping here. He grabbed a grey and green Nike gym bag and stuffed some more clothes in there, along with some of his make up he left at Camille’s and some other make up he didn’t leave at Camille’s, a toothbrush and the meds in the small white hospital bag Alec (he guessed) hat put down on the bedside table. When he headed into he living room he grinned to himself, Alec was becoming part of the family. he sat on the couch chatting with Cat, smart people stuff probably, Camille sat leaning against his legs on the floor and Ragnor with his laptop on the whit leather arm chair across for them, Ragnor was probably the only person on Earth who shopped more than Magnus. He stood there watching for a while, spying you could say.

Cat pointed at something in the book she was reading and Alec seemed to be clarifying it to her, gesturing, laughing occasionally and making faces at the clothes Ragnor showed him. Making comment like; “is that even a shirt? “Why do you even pay money for that?” “My kitchen towels have more fabric than that!” “What is that?” Camille read one of those woman’s tips magazines, she laughed at something and showed it Cat who just shook her head, “that’s simply impossible, you can’t loose 40kilos in a week!” so Alec goes “Why do you even read that? Those magazines make no sense, on the first page they tell you to accept yourself, on the next they tell you how to lose 40 kilos in a week and on the third page they go on about the best cake recipes! Whoever writes this shit needs a serious reality check…” and Ragnor is like “Damn right! You listen to him Cam, he knows what he’s talking about” and she goes “ha! You don’t understand, no uterus no opinion” and Cat joins like “I had no idea you watched Friends!” and Alec is all surprised like “And who doesn’t?” so Ragnor goes “Magnus does’t, he has some serious issues with the show’s dress code”. Now they all laugh and on and on it goes until Magnus walks in, they all turn around to face him, Cat whispers -“There’s the anti friends subject, how should we proceed Agent Lightwood?”-“I say we shall ask the owner of uterus, I have no jurisdiction in this area”-“Well the uterus own says friends marathon”-Camille states.-“Mercy please!”-Magnus begs. Then the front door bell rings and Camille announces “Well, that’s my cue to leave, see you Mondays guys” “Are you by any chance driving past central park?” Why yes Catrina, is someone in need of a ride?” “In need indeed” “Hop right in” And gone they were.  
-“I heard I’m under witness protection?”  
-“Ah yeah, that’s protocol, sorry”-Alec added  
-“The you better get going before someone tries to break into Camille’s apartment and ruins my hair”-Ragnor said and got up to grab something to eat. Alec nodded at that and up he was. Phone against his ear and words falling off his tongue. Thank god no Spanish this time!  
-“Yo Derek, I got the witness here and need you to send a vehicle over…thanks man…How’s Agelika by the way…You never told me, congratulations!…I will…You too…I’ll make sure of it”-he slid the phone back into his back pocket and turned to Magnus  
-“The car’s gonna be here in 2 minutes, anything you forgot to get?”  
-“Everything in here”-Magnus said kicking the bag lightly  
-“Izzy had the same one, it got lost somewhere in Chile though”  
-“Chile?”  
-“Yup, the people there are great, and everything is really colorful…as long as you stay on the right side, of course. You’ve never been there?”  
-“Nope, not much traveling outside the States I can remember”-Alec did his short laugh/sigh thing, damn it was adorable Magnus thought and looked at Magnus funny, grinning to himself.  
-“Someday I’m gonna show you the world Magnus”-he said it with this wicked grin and this strange light in his eyes, slightly shaking his head, then nodding to himself and adding-“Some day when this mess is cleaned up, I’ll show you every single corner of this damned planet, you’ll meet the best people, you’ll become part of the greatest worlds…”-he briefly got lost in thought and then snapped out of it-“Come on, we gotta get going, bye Ragnor”  
-“Until next time gentlemen”-Ragnor waved and out the door they were. Did Alec know what he did to him? Was he even counties of the impact his words had on Magnus? He doubted it, “Someday I’m gonna show you the world Magnus” he threw these things around Magnus as if they were good mornings, maybe for him it wasn’t a big deal, but no one had ever promised Magnus the world. He did things to Magnus, those words did unexplainable things to him and Alec wasn’t even aware of them.

 

 

-“Hey Magnus!”-Izzy chirped as she passed him and Alec in the hallway, probably on her way out Magnus guessed. And judging from the way she dressed, on her way to one lucky (or maybe not so lucky) guy. She moved way to fast to come across casually Magnus noted, and his suspicions were confirmed when Alec grabbed her arm and spun her around, earning a hard slap to the chest from his sister, did nothing to his grip though.  
-“Where do you think you are going?”  
-“LET-GO-ALEC.”-her tone dangerously low, someone doesn’t like to follow orders…  
-“Where are you going?”  
-“Out”  
-“I’m just gonna go ahead and wait for you in the library if that’s okay”-Magnus interrupted, he really wasn’t up to this, and besides, the library was just around the corner  
-“Sure, be there in a sec”  
-“You are letting him go? Let me go!”  
-“Out where? And with whom?”  
-“That’s non of your business, now let go, I’m late”-Magnus plumped down on a red couch and kicked his feet up, he could still hear the fight  
-“Oh you’ll be much more than just late unless you tell me who, when and where. Now Isabelle”  
-“So you can dig up every dirty secret of his? So you can profile and examine him? Fuck no!”  
-“Then you are not going”  
-“Shut up and get your hands off my!”  
-“Answer me then”  
-“I said to get your hands off me Alexander!”  
-“Leave her alone man”-Jace’s voice came from the corridor, damn barbie was everywhere, and invasion…   
-“I just want to know where she’s going and who she’s meeting”  
-“Come on dude, we didn’t question you about Bane, not once. Stop being so paranoid and trust us, she can handle herself”  
-“I know, I just want to know where she’s headed, and who she’s meeting and when she’ll be back”  
-“God Alec! I’m meeting Meliorn at Pandemonium and I’ll be back around four, happy?”   
-“Isn’t he a drug dealer? No way you’re meeting him, he’s dangerous”  
-“And so is Izzy, now let go and tuck your boyfriend in before he falls asleep on mum’s horrendous red stone age couch!”  
-“He’ll be fine, and the couch has been replaced by the way, there was a small accident with the original. Glad to see it looks just the same”-Izzy must have slipped from his grip or something, there were some heavy sounds. Magnus pictured Jace holding his brother back and Izzy fleeing to meet her lover in a dark alley.  
-“Leave it alone bro, she’ll be fine”-There was a pause and then “twin skeleton” by FOB, Alec’s ring tone. It surprised Magnus to recognize the sound  
-“…Hey Kate!..Sure…It’s been months…5? Maybe even six…and what do I own the pleasure of this conversation to?…What?…That’s so fucked up…and you got him?…Her?…No! You know I don’t go with that macho shit, I just figured because of the semen and all, it could have been planted though…yeah…how Rudy coming along?…Absolutely…I do…I know…9 at the DF Bar?…Yes, please, yes…I’m sorry too…I will…You got anyone downtown?…My sister…Izzy yeah, the drug lord, the on who looks like this elf from the lord of jewelry…rings, it’s the same…Thanks…Hey Kate?…You know I love you right?…Okay…See you Friday”-And the call ended, Magnus could hear Jace asking questions, they got louder by the second, they were probably walking to the library.  
-“Kate? Who’s Kate?”  
-“A friend from DC”  
-“Since when do you make friends everywhere? I thought you were the shy socially awkward blue eyed overprotective messy dude who called himself my brother, who are you?”  
-“Who is interrogating who now?”  
-“I’m just asking, and you gotta get off her back Alec. I’m serious, I understand your worry, but you can’t lock her up in this house like a human doll, everyone who has ever watched pretty little lars knows that doesn’t work long term”  
-“What is pretty little liars?”  
-“Ah…Forget it, point it you can’t hold her down, you now how she is, you gotta let her live, she’s a wild creature”  
-“You make it sound like she was some kind of weird cross between Kim Kardashian and a deadly hyena”  
-“You got joke now?”  
-“Just an observation, hey Magnus”  
-“What’s up Bane? Not much, I can see”  
-“No”-He dead panned, he was seriously tired and finally not up for Jace’s games.  
-“Wow, carful there Bane, don’t sound too enthusiastic!”  
-“Beat it Jace”-Alec cam to Magnus’ rescue  
-“Now you are kicking me out too?”  
-“Yes, go.”  
-“And I thought you liked me and everything”  
-“Jace”  
-“I’m already gone, I’m already gone. Sweet dreams Bane”-Well those for sure would be nowhere to be seen for a long time, thanks for the reminder though  
-“Fuck off…”-He grumbled not raising his eyes.  
-“Fuck off indeed brother heart”  
-“Well fucked off i shall be then”  
-“Yes you shall”  
-“I hope you keep it safe, VIH is a nasty thing you know”-He laughed as the door closed behind him. Magnus squeezed his eyes shut while his whole body tensed up. Blocking out physical contact was easy, but words You couldn’t just shut off your ears or prevent your brain from processing them. Someone peeled his fingers off his face, he hadn’t even realized he was crying until Alec wiped away the tears, he was now sitting next to Magnus on the fake prehistoric couch. He pulled Magnus up and into a hug, squeezing him real tight. “I fear that if I don’t hold you you’ll probably fall apart.”Damn words, why did Alec always say what Magnus need to hear?  
-“Don’t let it win, you are Magnus Bane, you are fabulous, nobody overdresses you, no one ever out seats you, you are the king, you rule high school, you are Magnus Bane, lord of Brooklyn. You are stronger, you won’t let it win. You can’t, you re Magnus and he was nobody. You are remembered you made it, he didn’t. He’ll spend the rest of his life underground in a hot dark cell. He lost, you won. It’s over, Magnus, everything is gonna be okay”-His voice was so soft, Magnus nearly believed him. But it wasn’t true, Alec was twice as strong, a thousand times smarter, he didn’t need glitter nor labels, he was already the most beautiful person on the planet. He ruled high school before Magnus, and he could take it back any time, but he didn’t, he didn’t need it, he never lost it. And for “okay” things were never okay.  
-“Stay with with me?”  
-“Of course, when you wake up I’ll be right here, I’ve always been right here…”  
He wasn’t sure when he fell asleep, but he knew when he woke up Alec hadn’t lose his grip and inch, he had stayed there. What he did notice for sure was Isabelle Lightwood starring at him like he was the cross breed Kardashian hyena.  
-“Mm…Why are you starring at me like that?”-he was still sleepy and his voice raspy, but even his mushed brain could predict nothing good would come from a conversation with a drunk Izzy.  
-“What theee hell are you stiiiill doing here?”  
-“I asked first”  
-“Alec”-she said nodding her head at her brogherrr, who by the way hadn’t loosened his grip but had failed asleep with his head resting on Magnus’ who was somehow curled into Alec, lying half on the couch half in Alec’s arms.  
-“Alec?”  
-“He doesnnn’t sleeep”  
-“Well he’s asleep now…?”  
-“I seeeee, why”  
-“Because he was tired? Idk”  
-“Heee doesn’tt ever sleep like thaattt, heee usually waits to pass out from sleep lack”-it was as if talking about her big brother somehow sobered her up-“He hates sleeping, I alway thought he had bad dreams, nightmares and stuff…But he never screams or panics in his sleep, it’s when he waked up that he falls into some kind of trance, a sort of temporarily depression. And I wanna know why he fell asleep under you, what did you do to my brother Bane?”-Yup, definitely sober now  
-“I don’t know, but can’t we talk about his in the morning?”  
-“It is the morning”  
-“Hm the later morning, you know, when the sun comes up and regular people get up to work and stuff…I’m really tired”  
-“I don’t want to, I want to know now”  
-“Isabelle… - Magnus protested-I really didn’t do anything, I just fell asleep and he was tired too, people sleep when they are tired. maybe he did pass out, who knows…”  
-“Maybe…Maybe not…Are you dating now?”  
-“Dating? No”  
-“So what the hell are you doing here all the time”  
-“I…I, I’m not so sure myself…Alec said it was witness protection, if that tells you anything. I just know that stuff from CSI”  
-“What did you witness?”  
-“I…I don’t know…”  
-“Go back to sleep Bane, but I’ll tell you this, if you hurt my brother, I’ll kill you. Seriously, understand?”  
-“Yes, I would never hurt him though and it’s Magnus.”  
-“Whatever, just know I’ll hunt you down and kill you in the worst way possible, Bane…” - She was turning away, ready to leave when it struck Magnus, why? Why would he hurt Alec?-“Isabelle”  
-“Hm?”  
-“Why? Why would I hurt your brother?”  
-“They alway do”-And the door clicked shut behind her, the last traces of Dior and Vodka lingering in the air dissolving into darkness.

 

It had been about a week since Magnus had been released from “Witness Protection” though he still had a personal goon squad following him around every where. It was starting to get cold, November was nearly over, and to say the truth, Magnus was quite all right, nightmares were common, but dating, thankfully, was now common once again too. Right now the goon squat was sitting in front of the John Lennon monument pretending to be a bunch of asian tourists taking pictures, which for the record, some actually were. There was this one dude, most of them were gorilla looking guys, but there was this one kid, he couldn’t be much older than Magnus himself, maybe 20, 22 perhaps, he had this elegance to him. Tall but not broad, skinny but athletic, he looked nerdy but acted rather rebellious. He wore black skinny low waisted jeans, a white dress shirt and a red bow, with a blue V-neck light sweater and black dress shoes. He had these black framed glasses, the kind everyone wore, slightly square framed, straight line on the top but rather round on the bottom of the glass. Ray Ban typical. His black hair combed to the side and a neutral expression on 24/7. He also wore a black rolled and a thick leather bracelet. Magnus noticed the cross hanging from a silver chain dangling around his neck. This dude was straight out weird. But weird in a good way, the way that attracted looks and placed them in a strange way. People stared, not long, but long enough for Magnus to see the satisfaction on his face when three girls turned around as he passed them, Magnus wondered if people saw him that way, though he was way more attractive and well, harder to miss. However, the strangest thing about him was the way he acted whenever Alec was around. Magus had grown accustomed to see him or his siblings around, he would go over sometimes, hang out with Alec if he wasn’t working or go shopping with Izzy, who turned out to be great once they got past the “I’m gonna murder you whether you touch Alec or not”. Jace was still an asshole, his girlfriend Clary was cool too, Magnus had helped her out quite a few times with her parents being overprotective and her brother a psychopath you don’t tend to be all that popular around school. And she did make Jace a little less of a douchebag than usual. Camille and Ragnor were in the middle of their who has dated more battle phase, it came along every time one of those lame school balls was organized. But right now, he was here in Central Park thinking about his goon squad and their oddness while waiting for Alec. They did spend a lot of time together. They had been to the movies a couple times, a concert or two, multiple museums and Seattle. Alec loved it there. One day he was telling Magnus about his and Emir’s world tour and he mentioned how cool Seattle had been and how his former partner Grant moved back there, Magnus told him he had never been there, so Alec was like, excuse me? It isn’t even that far, so he grabbed that magic phone of his and in less that 5 hours they were getting off the Lightwoods’ jet and walking right out into the Seattle sunset. Under normal conditions Magnus would probably already have started a family with Alec. H had never spend so much time with someone without sex being involved, not even Camille. Cat maybe, but that was different. Although these were nowhere near normal conditions. It did however, get easier for Alec to talk about Emir. Over time he stopped closing off to the world about his dead fiancé, started to tell stories, short small facts which then turned into long complicated funny stories. He told them with enthusiasm, but even a deaf 80 year old blind schizophrenic could tell how much he missed him, how his voice was laced with pain, longing for something that was no longer there. And just as Magnus wondered how he had gotten to think about schizophrenic 80 year old people Alec showed up next to him startling him and causing him to nearly fall into the lake if it hadn’t been for Alec’s ninja reflexes he would be frozen by now.  
-“Sorry”-he laughed  
-“I though you like me, now you’re trying to drown me in freezing cold water. Though I can assure you, I’ve got my goon squat parked right there by Lennon, they won’t let you get away with it.Nope, not a chance Lightwood”-He said in the best mock serious tone he could muster.  
-“Your own personal goon squat? It’s a specially trained high level goon squat you got there Bane, no match against my skills.”  
-“A high tech goon squat you say?”  
-“They literally are sitting ducks”  
-“Yeah”-Magnus laughed at that, Alec’s jokes were few and between, mostly you never noticed it. Izzy used to say they were too intellectually challenging for regular earth inhabitants to get.  
-“So, who’s winning?”-he was talking about Camille and Ragnor’s annual date war. Magnus had told him about it not thinking much of it, but Alec however, found it hilarious. Guys the secret society hasn’t that much of a dating pool.  
-“I’m not sure, they’re trying to decide whether people they both dated at the same time count to not”-Alec laughed, he was bending over the railing.  
-“May I ask why this comes across this amusing to you?”  
-“I’m not sure. I guess it’s funny to see someone seriously considering whether dating 100 people or 101 is gonna make them dance queen or king.”  
-“Well let me inform you, it is an extremely serious matter in the life of ignorant insane high schoolers”-Magnus loved watching people, specially Alec right now, doing his laugh/sigh and gazing over the water, bangs flaying in the wind and eyes sparkling. He had never gotten why people would say his face lit up when he smiled. But he got it now, it wasn’t some glow, it was the way Alec’s face changed. When his lips were pressed in a thin line and his eyes dry, it was as if he was “closed” somehow as if his eyes were lamps that had been turned off and the moment he smiled his face opened, his eyes light up like a christmas tree. You felt the urge to smile too, no matter what he was smiling about, it was worth it.  
-“You’re doing it again”  
-“Huh?”  
-“You’re staring at me as if I was the John Lennon monument and you art of the squat”  
-“I’m not!”  
-“Sureee…”  
-“I’m not, really”  
-“Yeah, all right…”  
-“Okay fine! It’s not my fault! You know you are damn cute when you laugh Alexander and all the rest of the time too, I like looking at beautiful people, it’s just the way I roll baby”-He winked and mentally patted himself on the shoulder for once again making the blue eyed boy blush in embarrassment. He just carved the way he would blush and hide his eyes behind his bangs, trying to deny the compliment but failing to fight the small smile on his red face.  
-“I love it when you blush, seriously, you got all the blush-DNA in your family…”  
-“There is no such thing as blush-DNA, though there is a specific chemical…”-he caught himself rambling and blushed even darker-“Sorry, not relevant”  
-“It is”  
-“Magnus…you said I’d be way better at talking to people if I filtered what someone would understand and find interest and the stuff that would just sound like Chinese. Don’t try to sabotage the “let’s make Alec a better talker operation”. That’s off limits”  
-“Yes, sir!”  
-“Now that everything is clear, I’m starving and your high tech ducks look like they are about to commit suicide out of boredom so let’s give them something to do and seek out the ice cream cart. I need chocolate, soon.”-He grinned and off they were, they made it a game to find the strangest ways and paths to get to the other side of the park. Just to keep the so called high tech ducks alive and focused.  
-“Isn’t that your friends Tessa? The one who was supposed to get here yesterday from London?”  
-“Indeed it is”  
-“Why do you think is she wandering around in the bushed with a tiny suitcase and a dead cat?”  
-“I’m not sure, but as soon as I figure it out I’ll inform you right away”  
-“Sounds good, yes, all kind of chocolate you’ve got please”-He turned to the ice cream guy as Magnus walked over to Tessa and Alec tried to get the ice cream man to fit 5 times the normal amount of ice cream into the small paper jar.

-“Tessa!”  
-“Oh hi Magnus!”-she turned around knocking over a small statue of a gnome with her suitcase and a surprised look on her face.  
-“What exactly are you doing here? I thought by some difficulties you meant your flight being canceled or your luggage arriving in Thailand”  
-“Ah yes…Well my luggage is here and so m I. God I’m so glad to see you! I’ve been wandering around these wood for hours!”  
-“It’s a park Tessa”  
-“A park? I told the cab driver to drop me off in Brooklyn and I’m not sure why, but this doesn’t look like Brooklyn”  
-“Because it isn’t”  
-“It isn’t? Thank goodness, I was starting to think I wasn’t even in NYC!”  
-“Come on Tessa, let me escort you out of the “woods” and into the city”-Magnus offered her arm and she looped her’s in, he took her suitcase and they walked over to Alec, who had succeeded in his mission of fitting 5 chocolate ice cream balls into a yellow plastic cup. He stood with his back to them and was talking to a black haired pale blue eyed girl who could have been his sister if she hadn’t just written something (her number?) on his hand, weird. Magnus had sworn he was 100% gay. He felt something strange, something tightened inside him for a second and then it was over. He liked Alec, heck, he was head over heels for the boy, but he had promised himself he would wait. Alec was nowhere near dating, much less a relationship. Magnus did keep to his promise, which however, didn’t mean his pants didn’t get a little too tight from time to time. Okay, maybe a little more often than just time to time, but Alec was just so damn sexy. And on top, blue eyes combined with black hair, that did something to Magnus…then add his innocence, it was hard for Magnus to imagine this man talking to the dark haired girl infant of him was a special agent capable of killing, not to speak of enduring the death of your own fiancé! But, yeah, always “but”…  
-“Magnus?”  
-“Wake up Magnus…”  
-“Huh? What? Oh…sorry, what were you saying?”-he looked around confused, when had they gotten here? Who had spoken to him? Tessa laughed and Alec smiled knowingly at her, what was it? More importantly, what the hell was going on?  
-“I was saying I’m completely worn out and I’d like to get some rest if that’s all right with you?”  
-“Sure, let me call a cab and off we go to my place”  
-“You don’t need to come, I got a key and you’ve got company here, I wouldn’t want you to leave poor Alexander out here in the woods all alone”-Alec laughed and waved them off saying they should go get Tessa settled in, he had some stuff to get done anyway. He and Tessa should get going before she passed out or wandered off back into the “woods”  
-“Okay then”  
-“And Magnus?”  
-“Yeah?”  
-“If Izzy or Jace ask where I am, could you tell them I’m with you?”  
-“Sure, may I ask why?”  
-“It’s Friday, which means if I’m not in a coma somewhere in Thailand they’ll try dragging me to some horrible club or some frat party filled with drunks and quite honestly, I wouldn’t mind missing such a distasteful, uncomfortable event this evening”-The combination of the genuine horror in his eyes and the way his nose twitched upwards, those lips, beautiful red lips which probably tasted like chocolate, those lips on his, those lips around him…Shit, he pulled Tessa’s suitcase infant of him, nodded and told Alec he’d make up the most fabulous cover story for him. Then he grabbed Tessa and hurried to catch the cab that just stopped by. Once inside he looked over at Tessa who was waving goodbye through her window, then turned around and broke out laughing, tears in her eyes and teeth shinning bright. That laugh, that Magnus had missed.  
-“What?”-he knew he was blushing. Fuck. He hated blushing, he had managed to never blush around Alec, or anyone else for that matter, but Tessa, he had known her a long time and he appreciated her discreet ways, but that only came with an eye that saw everything.  
“What? Come on Magnus, for how long?”  
-“I don’t know”-she gave him the “don’t-fuck-with-me-look”, he sighed and looked out window before answering in a low voice-three weeks, a month maybe…”  
-“A month?! And you haven’t done anything? Wow…This is definitely not the Magnus Bane I remembered”-she laughed  
-“It’s complicated”  
-“It always is”  
-“No, I mean, it’s complicated”  
-“Can he like you?”  
-“He’s gay, if that’s what you meant”  
-“Partly, I meant he seemed odd, I don’t really know how to describe it, his eyes, something isn’t right with him”  
-“His fiancé, Emir, died in a plane crash”  
-“Oh my god! That’s awful! How long ago was that?”  
-“Something like a year ago maybe, I’m not sure. It’s a touchy subject. Now combine it with being an FBI special agent, a messed up child hood, crazy siblings and having more secrets than the CIA, it kind of makes it hard to find out the exact time when his life broke down”  
-“God…That makes sense why he avoids his family”  
-“It’s not really avoiding, his brother is a jackass, completely full of himself, always in the spot light ad his sister is the female version of him. They ignored him for like 3 years, then blamed everything on him, treat him like trash and then expected him to forgive them as if nothing had happened. They had no idea of his whereabouts during 3 years, what kind of siblings do that? Though his mother lied to Isabelle and Jace (his brother and sister) telling them Alec was busy, but still, for 3 years and they don’t get suspicious?”  
-“Oh my…Poor boy…But still, I think, I don’t know, it feels like there’s something more. When Will passed away, I spent so much time feeling guilty, like I couldn’t look at other men because I would be betraying him, but he does look at you, he sees you Magnus”  
-“He sees me?”  
-“Cat told me what happened, he knows it too and by the looks of it you told him it wasn’t the first time, am I right?”  
-“Yes”-Magnus brought out, his voice cracking  
-“Hey, it’s gonna be okay Magnus. In the end everything is okay, always.”  
-“Hm”  
-“Alec got you out, Cat told me he filled the whole hospital with undercover field agents and fake cops, he made a huge mess trying to get to you and he stayed. He even befriended Ragnor, that’s something only few have the balls to do”-That cracked Magnus up-“Right, now he told you about his troubles, not everything, but something. He trusts you to have his back with his family, he knows you, the real you. Not the glitter-fame-runway-Bane-beats-all-version. He does like you, call me crazy, but if you wait for him, have his back until he heals a little more, I assure you, you are gonna be the next Emir.”  
-“Why does everyone keep saying that? I really don’t feel like dying”  
-“I’m serious Magnus, give him time to accept he isn’t betraying Emir, time to accept he had his time with Emir and now it is over. Let him heal, let him trust you, give him the time he needs and he’ll come to you. I bet you, I bet you a pink glitter camel he’ll be the one to make the first move.”  
-“A pink glitter camel you say?”  
-“With green eyes and purple lashes”  
-“The bet is on”-They shook hands just as they arrived in front of Magnus’ loft, when they got out he hugged his friend, tight-“I really missed you Tessa, wise beautiful Tessa”  
-“I missed you too, eccentric sensitive Magnus covered in glitter from head to toe”

 

-“What the…?”-Tessa got up from the couch and walked over to the ringing oven. Magnus was sound asleep in his room, after a 3 hour shower. Where he got the money to pay for that kind of water, Tessa had no idea. She started removing pots and pans until she found a lime green and yellow phone. Shaking her head she pressed the green button and walked back into the living room.  
-“Hello? Bane residence here, what can I help you with?”  
-“Where’s Bane?”-A harsh deep and extremely unpleasant male answered.-“I need to speak with the bastard right now!”  
-“Excuse me?”  
-“Quit this shit and give me that fag right now bitch”-Bitch? Who the hell was this?-“Move it I haven’t got all day! Give me Bane slut!”-Tessa looked at the phone for a second before hanging up on this, well, asshole. Not 5 seconds after she had hung up the phone, it rung again. She picked up, everyone deserved a second chance.  
-“What the fuck? Why the hell did you just hang up on me bitch? Wait, you know what, I don’t care, give me Bane, now!”-red button, it kung again, and again, and again. After 6 times, she picked up, laid the phone down on the coffee table and suck back on the couch, resuming her earlier interrupted nap.  
-“Hey, Tessa, Tessa?”  
-“Hmmm?”  
-“Wake up”-Magnus’ voice made its way to her ears. -“What is it Magnus?”-she murmured  
-“I’m starving”  
-“You’re hungry? Then eat something, you don’t need me to do that…”  
-“I know, I just wanted to ask who’s using the phone?”  
-“Ah…I’m not sure…some asshole called and I quote “Quit this shit and give me that fag right now bitch. Move it I haven’t got all day! Give me Bane slut!” Unpleasant is an understatement, but whatever. I hung up, so he kept calling and I kept hanging up until it just got too annoying so I picked up, left the phone there and went back to sleep. He’s been talking alone ever since, I think the Chairman hissed into the phone a couple times, but I’m not sure, I was asleep. Feel free to join the conversation and learn a whole series of new insults”  
-“I will, after I get something to eat”-Magnus was already laughing by her third sentence, Tessa was one of those people who were hilarious without even trying. And on top, he was aware of the fact that whoever was on the other end, was listening to their conversation, God bless Tessa’s ways he thought as he searched for some Nutella in the fridge-“Do you want a sandwich too?”  
-“Some crackers and tea would be fine, I never understood the American obsession of sandwiches.”  
-“Well i doubt crackers and Nutella would go well with tea, so you gotta make a sandwich, besides crackers are so dry”  
-“That’s what the tea is for”  
-“Not my cup of tea”-Magnus added and they both laughed at his choice of words  
-“Cup of tea indeed”-Once his sandwich was ready and the tea hot, he walked back into the living room, plopped down on a white armchair and asked Tessa whether the “unpleasant asshole” was still there.  
-“Yup, screaming like a banshee, a real prodigy”-And out of the phone you could hear, if you leaned in close “…ucking Bane asshole fag gaylord idiotic incompetent ungrateful rapist jackass bastard bitch Bane”  
-“The very same, what can i do for you Herondale?”-Magnus spoke into the room, Tessa grinning and doubling over in silent laughter  
-“Where the fuck is my brother?”  
-“I can’t hear you, please speak louder, clarity and pronunciation are the key son”  
-“Go to hell and tell me where my brother is”  
-“I’m gonna go shower, if he hangs up before I come back send him my regards”-Tessa announced and walked out and into Magnus’ wonderfully huge bathroom. He turned his attention back to the phone, this time he picked it up and held it to his ear.  
-“Listen Jace, what do you want?”  
-“You sure took your damn time asshole”  
-“What-do-you-want?”-Magnus asked again, emphasizing each word  
-“I want you to tell me where my brother is. Where the fuck is Alec?”  
-“Right now?”  
-“Fuck Bane, yes! Right now, where is he?”  
-“Inside me, and let me tell you, he’s gorgeous”  
-“Stop fucking with me Bane!”  
-“Well, it’s not you who I’m fucking with, but I appreciate your concern”  
-“Magnus, I’m serious, where is Alec?”-His voice was dead serious  
-“In the bathroom, Tessa just went to shower in the extra bathroom cuz Alec is in the big one. Why do you need to know anyway?”  
-“Is he really there, no lies, no covering for him, he is seriously there with you?”  
-“What’s going on?”  
-“While you were on your play date with Alec, our father stopped by the house. He wants to talk to Alec and isn’t leaving until he does. He won’t tell us why he is here or what they need to talk about but it’s important. I think he thinks Alec is in some kind of trouble, Magnus, is Alec with you? This isn’t about his trust or his getting over Emir, this is serious, if Alec gets hurt because we didn’t get to him in time, it’s your fault. So tell me the truth, where is my brother?”-Magnus was, well, he stood at a crossroad, stay true to Alec, and lie or protect him and tell the truth. So he either betrayed him or left him in danger. What would it be Bane?  
-“Bane? You still there man?”  
-“Uh yeah, on a scale from one to ten, what kind of trouble are we speaking about?”  
-“Seriously?”  
-“So?”  
-“Under normal circumstances maybe a 7, but considering the fact that my freaking step dad is sitting in the next room instead of being in his office on the other side of the globe, I’d say it’s a 17”  
-“What’s going on? Learned any new words?”-Tessa came in wrapped in a fluffy pink bathrobe and a black towel wrapped around her hair.  
-“Hold on Jace”-Magnus turned to Tessa and leaving the phone on the couch guided her into his room closing the door behind them, leaving Jace furiously screaming in the living room.  
-“What’s wrong?”  
-“Alec’s brother thinks he is in danger, Alec that is, even his father is here. Jace wants to know where his brother is, and I don’t know what to do”  
-“I see…Alec is in trouble so you want to help, but on th other hand you don’t want to break his trust”  
-“Yes! What do I do?”  
-“Look Magnus, put yourself in Alec’s position. If you were him and you were in trouble would you want him to help you even if that meant breaking a promise?”  
-“Sure, screw the promise, but this isn’t me we are talking about”  
-“It’s your decision, you can lie and have him trust you, but maybe after tonight there won’t be anything to trust. I don’t know.”  
-“I don’t even know where he is”  
-“You didn’t see?”  
-“See what?”  
-“The girl from the park, she wrote an address on his hand, some kind of address, I think it was for this Mexican place called “Ai güey”, Will used to love dancing there.  
-“Are you sure?”-she gave him a look-“Of course you are sure”-he shook his head grinning to himself and went back.  
-“Jace?”  
-“What the actual fuck Bane? Talk!”  
-“Do you know a place called “Ai güey”?”  
-“No, is he there?”  
-“Earlier this tall black haired girl with blue eyes, quite pale, wrote the address on his hand, Tessa thinks that’s where he is”  
-“Fuck, Izzy should be there soon so get ready”  
-“What?”  
-“Isabelle, my sister, she’ll be by your apartment soon so put on some clothes princess and lets move it”  
-“What the hell do you need me for?”  
-“You and Izzy go find Alec, I hold off Robert, you clear everything up, get the story straight and then come back. Besides, we have no idea of where this place is, now shoes and pants Bane”-And right on cue the door bell rung and seconds later Isabelle Lightwood barged into his living room screaming around and pulling him out, into her car and sped off with him not having even touched up his make up.  
-“Right here and another one by the red light up front”  
-“Right. How do you know this place?”  
-“I’ve been to pretty much every single club in NY darling, in case you haven’t noticed, parting is a great talent of mine, right after, flirting, sex, fashion, talking, dancing and sleeping.”  
-“Sleeping? Quite an interesting talent, I bet Alec loves that about you”-she sounded…sad? Desperate?  
-“Is he still not sleeping?”  
-“Oh he sleeps, for hours, after blacking out that is.”-she responded in a bitter tone  
-“He blacks out?”  
-“Yup, either form exhaustion or he’s too drunk to stay conscious…Why does he do this? Why won’t he sleep Magnus? Is it nightmare? Insomnia? Why won’t he fucking sleep?!”   
-“I don’t know, left turn up ahead, then you’ll see the lights. It’s an awesome place.”  
-“I never thought Alec would go to a club willingly”  
-“Well, it isn’t really a club. It’s more of a garden bar, if that makes sense. It’s this crazy Mexican bar with a huge garden and this black marvel stage with a huge waterfall in the back. Colorful lights everywhere, these Mexican paper things hanging from invisible ropes everywhere, like a rainbow sealing, awesome music and the quesadillas, I mean, tequila is fine, but those cheese tortilla things just kill me. Left here and it should be right ahead. Oh, but the best thing are the dancers, amazing dancers. Handsome even sing and everyone knows everyone and damn, I haven’t been to “Ai güey” in months…”  
-“Okay, I get it, you are in love with the quesadillas and the colors, but why is Alec here?”  
-“Actually, it makes perfect sense. I can totally picture him there. Tequila shots, latin pop, some Regetón even, the mariachis, the people. He and the master-masker would fit in just perfectly…”  
-“master masquer?”  
-“Ah yeah, it’s this strange dude, I haven’t really talked much to him, but Camille is convinced he crossed the border in the back of a pimp’s truck. Funny dude though, he’s the tattoo artist”  
-“Oh, so he’s probably the number one person on my mum’s black list then. It’s that yellow thing over there?”  
-“The very same”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't posted in a VERY long time, but here's a VERY long chapter, love you people:)


	34. Perspective

-“I’m sorry, no invitation no party”  
-“Out of the way”-she grumbled as she pushed past the dude at the entrance and into the back room where the door to the huge garden was. They hadn’t even been there for two minutes and already they were stuck with a party-post-it. Those people who just won’t leave you until you slap them or just stick them onto someone else.  
-“Fuck off”-Izzy went straight for the punch, skipping the whole telenovela-slap-drama.  
-“…Miami me lo confirmo, ahí en la roca una bichuela, Puerto Rico me lo regaló, Dominica  
Colombia y Venezuela….Si tu eres latino saca tu bandera!”

Magnus froze, he grabbed Isabelle’s arm and pointed it in the garden direction, near the huge dance floor, but also half way in the back.  
-“Is that…?”  
-“A zombie?”  
-“THERE!”-she pointed in the other direction and there he was. An orange flower Hawaiian necklace, black button down, ripped dark jeans and black sneakers. He sat on this couch, playing some sort of game, taking shots. But that wasn’t what caught Magnus’ eye. The dude lying next to him with his head on his lap was, the girl leaning into his side with her feet up on the small colorful table. The three dudes on the opposite couch, the bartender girl kissing Alec on the cheek, there was the tall girl from the park sitting next to a brunette and the firefighter friend of Alec’s with this strange name and Alec. He sat there, laughing, drinking, smoking?  
-“Did he just take a drag from the blond’s cigarette?”  
-“Yeah…What’s going on?”  
-“Let’s find out”-she started walking straight to them, head on. Magnus walked behind her, not so fast, not so decided. Alec didn’t look as if he were in danger, he was parting. Was Magnus breaking his trust for nothing? And right then he looked up straight at Magnus. There was a moment of confusion, a second of realization, then a smile and finally he turned around to say something to the blond and then walked over.  
-“I thought you wouldn’t make it”  
-“You were expecting us?”-Magnus asked surprised  
-“Yeah! I tried calling like 8 times but the line was always occupied, I tried Jace but his line was dead too, Izzy ain’t got phone so I was pretty screwed, buy you made it!”  
-“What’s going on Alec?”-asked this sister  
-“Yeah, Jace said your father was waiting for you and you were in a lot of trouble so I told them where you were…sorry”-Magnus added feeling kind of ridiculous, Alec however, just laughed it off.  
-“Robert can kiss my ass and as for you, thank god you are here, Helen is all over me to dance and Aline won’t stop glaring daggers at me every time I say no”  
-“Alec, dad is home, he’s waiting for you”  
-“So let him wait”-Alec smirked, took Magnus’ arm, circled Izzy’s waist with his other arm and walked them over  
-“Long time no see”  
-“If that isn’t Isabelle Lightwood”  
-“Hello Aline”-Izzy looked somewhere between uncomfortable and relieved.  
-“Magnus, Aline,you maybe meat at the park, you already know the master-masker, that’s Helen,”-he pointed at the brunette-“Chelsea”-the blond he sat next to earlier-“Peru, Derek, Hoot and Kate is coming in bout an hour”-call me crazy but these people recognize me, Magnus thought as “yo” “hey” “hola” and “What’s ups” where exchanged. Right now he sat next to Alec, who had Hoot’s dead bak on his lap, Chelsea sat with her legs crossed and a shot glass glued to her mouth right next to him. Izzy joked around with Derek and Peru. Magnus got the feeling she wasn’t a big Aline fan.  
-“SO you are the famous Magnus Bane”-The tanned blond girl with the huge brown eyes said after another shot.  
-“The one and only darling, though I don’t know about famous yet”  
-“Famous? Who cares about fame, who even needs it, if you got the Lightwood’s black sheep spreading your existence all over the planet”-Hoot laughed and Alec faked a cough spilling alf his beer on the blond boy inches lap’s hair.-“What the hell?”  
-“The one I’ll give you after we get outta here”-Alec smirked  
-“Come on Ale, it’s true”-she now turned back to Magnus-“We are just kidding, we heard awesome things about you.”  
-“Wonderful? Are you sure those shots aren’t filled with dictionary instead of tequila?”-Hoot mocked  
-“Just because you are an illiterate dyslexic moron doesn’t mean the rest of the planet is too”  
-“Actually, about a third of the population is”-Alec added, Chelsea rolled her eyes, Magnus laughed and Hoot grinned  
-“There’s my man, throwing knowledge around! To the genius”-And everyone joined it, except for Isabelle. Magnus felt strangely comfortable around the people. He was easy to talk to, making friends wasn’t his problem. Keeping them used to be the major issue but whatever.  
-“Yo Kate!”  
-“Katherine the first, what brings you around here?”-someone said and just like with Magnus and Izzy, everyone greeted her.  
-“Around here? Booze and a promise, around you dear, an accident.”-She stated as she leaned down and whispered something into Chelsea’s ear. She had a small Russian accent, but everything else about her was far from small. Kate was tall, curvy, elegant. Everything about her image screamed queen-bee, but everything about the way she talked screamed gangster. It was… weirdly fascinating.  
-“Now Lightwood…”  
-“Uh oh, she’s got you man”-Peru murmured  
-“Yes ma’am?”-Alec asked in an over polite way with wicked look in his eyes  
-“I believe you owe me something?”  
-“Oh yeah, here”-Alec dug into his back pocket and took out a condom-“There you go”-His innocent smile and politeness combined with the joke were probably the funniest thing Magnus had ever witnessed. He looked over at Izzy as everyone else cracked up and Kate slapped Alec over the head. His sister looked horrified, she met Magnus’ gaze and mouthed “who is he?”, Magnus just moved his shoulders up and down once real quick. He wasn’t all that familiar with this side of Alec, but he liked it. It was strange, but hot. And why did he have a condom on him? No. Don’t. Don’t even go there Magnus.  
-“Up”  
-“Come on Katy, please?”  
-“No, no way”  
-“But I’m really drunk, I can’t even walk, why do you think I’m letting Hoot spread out all over me, I can’t move!”  
-“Oh lover boy, I’m pretty sure if you couldn’t move I wouldn’t be just laying on you”  
-“Shut up Michael, and Alec, move it!”  
-“Don’t you wanna dance with Magnus? He came all the way from Brooklyn just to dance with you Kate, don’t let him down”  
-“Alexander”  
-“Katherine”  
-“You are either getting up there and grab that micro or you we can dance right here.”  
-“Right here?”  
-“Right here”  
-“Rabiosa”-Alec stood up, took a last swing and the set down the empty bottle. He waved at the band and called something in Spanish. Then he stepped away from the table and took Kate with him. The music started playing and soon after Kate was up on a long table. Someone from the band was turning up the speakers, a little too much. People started turning around, smiles on their faces, eyes bright and some even got up to dance. Lots of those: “racacá!” noises you her in every Latin song and laughs were heard. Apparently Kate’s hips weren’t attached to her body because the way she moved them, poor Shakira was put to shame. Actually, this was a song by Shakira. And her voice, the Russian accent disappeared completely, replaced by perfect Spanish.  
-“Rabiosa…”-her voice was amazing, somewhere between smokey seductive and high on life-“Y yo the quire amarrao”-And then Alec was up on that table too and Magnus wasn’t sure not thinking about what Alec had in his pants would be enough from keeping his boner at bay. He had heard him sing, many times, but that was always English. His Spanish voice was different, raspier, sexier. And as for the dancing, Magnus knew he himself was a good dancer, but Alec, those moves, those hips, the way his hands lay on Kate’s waist, the way they moved, it was a fast dance but every move was in sink, every step. Her dress flew, his eyes shone and Magnus’ pants got tighter by the minute.  
-“…oye mami, vuélvete loca, arruñame la espalda, y muerdeme la boca”  
-“Oye papi, vuélveme loca, arruñame la espalda y muerdeme en la boca, rabiosa, rabiosa, yo soy rabiosa…”  
He lifter her up, threw her in the air, she walked back, he walked with her, towards her, as if the dance were a fight, he walked back, her hands on his chest, hips moving. He spin her around, his hips constantly brushing up against her’s, they danced in a circle now, like cowboys in a western film, then he pulled her close, the pulled away, in and out, she was in his arms, he was flipping her up, her legs flying up, long tuned legs, red high heels. His tall, muscular dark frame against her thin but curvy one, his black hair contrasting with her hazel colored curls. Their hands together, his crotch brushing up against her, not a “ups, sorry” kind brushing, but the sexy intentioned, they were glued together, hips and shoulders swinging, hair flipping and those voices.  
-“It’s fascinating, isn’t it?”-Magnus nearly jumped, he had been completely sucked into it. Hoot had sat up, Helen and Aline were dancing somewhere in the crowd, so where Izzy and Derek, Peru sat there, smoking and nodding to himself with this creepy smile on his face.  
-“Huh?”  
-“Kate and Alec”  
-“Yeah, do they even have bones?”  
-“I’m starting to doubt it, they would make an awesome couple, you know, opposites attract and all”  
-“Opposites? They got along pretty well”  
-“That’s not what I mean.”  
-“What do you mean then?”  
-“Not opposite as in personality and shit, but as in life. Kate’s married, she’s got a kid, she lives on the upper east side in a huge loft, her husband’s a surgeon, she’s a lawyer, owns half the bars int he city. Picks her kid up after school every day, goes to family dinners and that kind of stuff. She’s probably the happiest woman I know. And Alec on the other hand…”  
-“Alec what?”  
-“You can see it, he ain’t happy man. I guess people rarely are completely happy like Kate, cuz life’s a bitch, but still. I don’t know what happened to him, but it was bad man,really bad. But that’s how it works here, don’t ask, don’t tell, just roll with the flow. That’s why this place works man. No matter who you are outside those doors, it stays there, outside. In here, there’s only two kinds of people, the ones that come to party, to have a good time, you are one of those people. And the kind who come to forget. Morons trying to cover their scars with colors and booze, that’s Alec. Heck that’s me! But then again, aren’t we all morons, wandering around aimlessly trying to escape reality. I mean, just look at Kate, her life is perfect and somehow, she’s here. Alec’s life sucks, and somehow he is here. Somehow to people from opposite worlds are dancing on that table having the time of their lives. So you tell me, are there losers and winners, or just players?”

Magnus looked at the blond boy next to him, he was a couple years younger than him, but somehow calling him a boy just didn’t sit right. At first this place was just a fabulous latin party, now the lights weren’t as bright, colors were blurring together, smiles were fading in the smoke.  
-“I guess it all depends on where you are, on your perspective. If your life is hitting a high then smiles are real and the lights are great, but if you are hitting a low, then the only thing you see are blurred lights and plastic smiles”  
-“Which one are you Bane? High on life or ruffled on life?”  
-“But isn’t that the same thing?”  
-“Depends on your perspective”-Hoot smirked and then stood up, taking Peru’s cigarette and Peru with him off to dance-“It’s all about the perspective Banes”


	35. All time High

-“Magnus, Magnus!”-Izzy’s hand was on his shoulder, or was it his back? Wait, his butt? His legs? His feet? Fuck, his head. Things didn’t make sense. Where was he again? Oh right! On the floor, with an angry woman grabbing at him as if he were a nearly empty bag of chips and she was trying to reach the small smashed pieces at the bottom without getting to much grease and salt on her arm.-“Magnus! Wake up!”  
-“Did you just…you…What he hell? Is that vodka?”-And indeed he was lying face down on the grass with vodka dripping from his hair  
-“Get up!”  
-“Why am I even down?”  
-“I pushed you, now get over it and help me find my brother. Jace is just called and he can’t keep Robert away from it much longer”  
-“Away from what?”  
-“The room, Alec’s office, the locked room. You remember the time we spied on him, about a year ago, it used to be my dad’s private library. His favorite room in the whole house, heck, in the whole world. And he has no idea it no longer exists anymore, he’s gonna kill Alec when he finds out. And I got I feeling the case he’s working in there has nothing to do with my dad, it’s probably not even authorized. Alec’s gonna be in a shitload of trouble”  
-“Damn, you look by the bar and-”  
-“Already done it. The only place I haven’t looked is the guys’ bathroom and the roof.”  
-“Rule out the bathroom”-Another voice came, the master-masker of course. This dude was everywhere  
-“Shit, the roof then, get up Bane”  
-“All right, all right. If you hadn’t pushed me I wouldn’t have to get up int he first place…”-He groggily got up and half walked half jogged behind Isabelle and TMM, it was weird the was everyone called him “THE” Master-masker, was it even masker or masquer?


	36. All time steady

They walked though some kind of lobby, up the fire-escape and sure enough, the moment they walked onto the roof they heard Alec’s voice. It wasn’t the beautiful clear vocie fromt before but a raspier, deeper voice, even slurred.  
-“…It’s better to burn than to fade away, it’s better to leave than to be replaced, I’m losing to you, baby I’m no match, I’m going on, I’ve been highjacked, it’s a fucking drag, I taste it on your lips and I can’t get rid of you…”-And then someone else joined in, a slurred smokey voice “, so I say damn you kiss and the awful things you do, Yeah you are worse than nicotine…”-They turned a corner and sure enough, there was a freaking piano on the roof.  
-“Who the hell puts a piano on the roof?”-Apparently Izzy was thinking somewhere along the same line of thoughts as him.  
-“It’s a fine idea”-TMM commented,-“Though I would stop worrying about the piano dude and start thinking about your brother and the other 2 guys dancing on the edge while drinking, singing and smoking pot. I’m just saying”  
-“Who the hell are these people anyway?”  
-“The piano dude you love so much is Kim, came to the states from Hong Kong about 7 years ago, the guitarist is Spencer, he’s just a regular junkie, a chess genius though, hasn’t lost once in 13 years, then there’s your brother and the one over there, I heard he’s some kind of hooker, I think your brother punched broke his nose at a lame biker themed school party, Idk something like that I heard. They’re cool though, I think his name was Ed, or Ted or something, Zed maybe. However, I’d like to repeatedly point this out; your brother is about to become a red spot on the pavement”  
-“ALEC!”  
-“…Rid of you-Huh? Oh hey Iz! You gotta see this, man, I love the skyline”  
-“Yo Masker!”-TMM nodded and then walked over to pull Alec away from the edge and over toward Magnus and Isabelle.  
-“What the fuck Alec? Dad is waiting at home for you and he’s gonna lose it if you come home at 3 am shit faced and reeking of smoke. When the hell did you start to smoke? Know what, I don’t care, just get your ass in the car”  
-“What’s with the hurry? Why is your hair wet?”  
-“Your sister’s courtesy, but we really need to go”  
-“Why? I always wait for hours until you people get out of some shit party, now it’s your turn to wait”  
-“Yeah, but we aren’t the only ones waiting. Dad is at home probably examining your room, waiting for you”  
-“Robert Lightworm can kiss my ass, and you need to chill the fuck out, let me live”  
-“This isn't living Alec, this is throwing your life away and I’m not gonna stand by and watch. You are my brother and for all the times you held my hair while I puked, for all the aspirins you snuck into my room, for the box of extra pads you kept in your locker in case I forgot to bring one, for all the times you pretended to like me food I’m gonna drag your sorry ass home, I’m gonna clean you up and have your back with dad. It’s my turn to take care of you now Alec, let me”  
-“Fine”  
-“Come on big brother”-he tumbled slightly, but Magnus caught him. As they walked past TMM, Alec turned around one last time as if to ask something, to which TMM just waved him off and told him Nicole had his bag, so Alec goes, then we gotta stop by the bar, I need that bag, sure Izzy goes along and after retrieving said bag from Nicole, a hot tall blond waitress they were finally sitting int he car and driving away from the colorful lights and funky music. Alec sat in back roaming through his bag. He handed his sister a CD, then took out a black bottle and started drinking while staring out the window, his feet up on the seat beside him and his fingers drawing random shapes on the fogged window. Occasionally he would murmur some of the lyrics to Losing My Religion from R.E.M, when the bottle was empty he would take out another one. Losing my religion, Chasing cars, Big bang by The Rock Mafia, Wherever you will go, skipping stones, we’re gonna be friends, Nicotine, Millionaires, Stay, Human, Moonstruck, Wind of change, Monsoon, Wanderwall, Smells Like Teenspirit, Burn it down, blue jeans, Burn it down, paradise, Twin Skeletons, sweet dreams are made of these…The NY traffic was slow, and they had to reach the other end of the city. Magnus had fallen asleep just to be woe up by the feeling of freezing to death, Alec had opened his window and his hair flew around his face as he threw out one black bottle after the next. Magnus lost count after 12, Skyfall was playing. He looked at Izzy who drove like a zombie, it was as if her foot was nailed to the gas pedal, not moving. Her eyes glued to the road and her hair flying behind her.  
-“Alec?”  
-“Hm…?”  
-“Magnus over here is freezing to death”  
-“Sorry”-And he closed the window, leaning his head dot he cold glass-“Do you ever wonder why we feel? I think about it all the time…It’s all just so useless, what’s supposed to come from it, what’s the meaning, what’s the purpose? Is it enlightenment? Is it Nirvana? Heaven? Oblivion?…I think gonna die”  
-“What?”-Suddenly Izzy was 100% awake, Magnus turned around to face Alec  
-“What do you mean you are gonna die?”  
-“…It’s a hard concept to grasp, your mind has to be evolved enough…I’m not sure though…Maybe I’m already dead and i haven’t noticed yet…”  
-“Alec?”  
-“No it’s okay, I don’t think it’s nirvana, or heaven or some shit we make up to tell our kids, it’s the realization, the moment you ask yourself what the hell am I? That’s when you are dead…yeah…I mean, rebirth is somewhat weird, but the whole not ejaculating in order to keep chi inside it’s just…damn…this is why I shouldn’t smoke, that shit gets my head all messed up…do you believe in the existence kami?”  
-“What the fuck is a kami? And I don’t care how evolved my brain is, I’m not stupid, so tell me, why do you think you are dead?”-Izzy sound quit paranoid and to be honest, Magnus was feeling somewhat uneasy too.  
-“This ain’t about stupid or smart, it’s about evolution, about embracing life as it is. But what is life? I mean, not the whole cells, atoms, dinosaurs crap, philosophically, what is life? Why is there death? How can we know death isn’t life and the life we know is just a pre life, or an after life? God…I seriously need to stop…fuck…where are we?”  
-“Don’t change the subject”  
-“It’s all right Iz, I’m not gonna jump off a roof top, I’m not sure what life is, but I’m nowhere near throwing it away…Besides, I got a whole list of motherfuckers I gotta proof wrong…So…where are we?”  
-“About 15 minutes from home”  
-“Because if he doesn’t he’s not Batman, he needs to safe Gotham in order to be”  
-“What?”-Izzy looked confused at Magnus, but it had just hit him. He had been dwelling on that question for weeks, months, ever since the hospital, all that time ago, he hadn’t really known why it bugged him, it just did.  
-“No Gotham, no Batman”  
-“What the hell are you talking about Bane?”-Izzy asked, a little too worked up  
-“At the hospital, someone asked Alec why the hell he had to come back, to like save NY, and he answered why does batman need to save Gotham, and it just occurred to me why. That’s all…”  
-“It’s like Yin and Yang, without dark there’s no light, there’s good in every evil, evil in every good.”-Alec murmured as he stared out the window, was that mouthwash in his hand? Apparently Izzy, once again, had the same question  
-“Is that mouthwash?”  
-“Elephant’s pee”-Alec added and then proceeded to drink it down, the whole freaking bottle! By the time they arrived home Take Control by Kodaline was playing and Alec didn’t smell like alcohol, neither his breath nor his clothes.  
-“Alec?”  
-“Sister?”  
-“Why did you get wasted right now?”  
-“I’m about to have a stare down with the FBI’s own inquisitor, I’ma need it”

They stood in front of the big gates, looking up at the house and waiting for…who knew, for whatever. Everything was better than going in there.  
-“ …Now, are we gonna see the inquisitor or has he by some miracle already left?”  
-“I fear not”


	37. All time low

As they walked into a huge living room, with again, huge windows, but this time, no books. A tall man stood by one of the floor to ceiling windows, broad shoulders, dark hair, rigid as a statue. When he turned around, his eyes dark as coal and his stare hard as ice. No way this man was related to Alec Magnus thought just as the individual opened his mouth and requested Magnus removed from he scene, exactly those words, though Magnus was replaced by “the skinny wet kid”.  
-“And you removed from this world, but sadly wished and reality are two different concepts, now, what’s so important it can’t wait?”  
-“Alexander, do not talk to your father like this”-A tall woman emerged from he shadows, Alec looked at Izzy accusingly, she just gave him an apologetic look and a shrug as in “sorry, I had to do it”  
-“So this isn’t important at all then? Just a family reunion, no wait, there’s no family”  
-“Alexander! Not here, not now! My office, now!”  
-“Your office does no longer exist”-Alec stated dead calm-“So, when are you gonna tell them? Huh? What’s the story this time, cuz honestly, I have no idea, am I in Scotland? Who’s the runaway un-sub this time? Who’s going to school in Switzerland this time? What did they volunteer for again? Helping Katrina victims? Or Haiti? Am I at soccer practice? Or did I already graduate from Princeton? Or was it Oxford? Wait, even better, both! Cuz your son’s got special permission to skip school all year round right? 18 and already married? Bad reputation, what are people gonna think?So lets not marry, lets plan his life so it fits a profile. Lets pay him to leave, oh shit, he won’t, lets blackmail him then, oh wait, it didn’t work, lets try to kill him then!”-Alec had slowly started walking towards his father, who’s face hadn’t changed one bit, his mother however looked horrified, so did Izzy, and Magnus did too probably   
-“You-You killed Emir?”-Izzy managed  
-“No…Isabelle, it’s not like that”-her mother said desperately-“Alexander, lets talk in private, your sibling don’t need to know about our mistakes, we all make mistakes, but that’s no reason to do this!”-By now Jace was standing in the door, Izzy filling him in  
-“It wasn’t your fucking decision!”  
-“What the hell is going on?”-The blond asked  
-“Jace, oh God, Alexander, please stop…”  
-“Stop? You are the one who started it, Maryse Lightwood, the pretty woman, runs the FBI in NY, sponsors charity events, perfect woman, perfect life, perfect family, perfect reputation. You lost the right to tell me to stop the moment you chose your reputation over your family”  
-“That’s enough! Son, I understand your friend’s death was a tragedy, but you need to let go and shut up before you say something you’ll regret. Now apologize to your mother”-Alec eyed him as if he were a piece of gum stuck to his shoe.-“Son, do not look at me that way”  
-“Son? I’m not your damn son. You have absolutely no idea who I am, you think I don’t know, you mistake me for someone else. Someone who left a long time ago. Shy doesn’t mean ignorant. You knew that plane was gonna get bombed, you knew it wasn’t an accident and you knew this a month before I got not hat plane. But then again, everything is disposable, even people right?”  
-“You never set a foot not hat plane, stop making things up and apologize to your mother. Now Alexander”  
-“I’m sorry Maryse, I’m sorry I’m not the son you wanted. I’m sorry I’m gay, I’m sorry I didn’t make a good puppet. Should I apologize for not telling you were these came from?”-He shrugged off his leather jacket, pulled up his black shirt and pointed at a pegaso on his torso.-“You might not see them there, maybe on my back, where I haven’t gotten a chance to cover them up yet”-He pulled the shirt up higher and turned around for his mother to see. Magnus caught a glimpse, a glimpse of 7 deep angry white burns. They run along his back, from his shoulder, acrid his spine, over his torso and then were hidden by ink. Izzy covered her mouth, Jace’s eyes widened, Robert flinched and Maryse, just as her daughter, covered her mouth with a pale hand.-“I’m sorry for not telling you, not telling you Emir is alive and I’m dead. Which was a choice you had no right to make. I’m sorry for not telling you I didn’t meet emir randomly, but was assigned to look out for him, to have his back in case something happened, you know, witness protection and all. I’m sorry for not telling you I got shot 6 times, was in a coma for 3 weeks and moved from country to country every month just to escape you and your paranoid need to control me. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you my fiancé was the one who tipped you off about the German Snipper, who put his life in danger to help a country he didn’t even belong to. I’m sorry I fell in love with a man. I’m sorry this man was the responsible one for your promotion and your husbands title. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I no longer work for the FBI. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the man Rafael’s people stopped at boarding was Emir, and not in fact, your son and his little brother. I’m sorry I never told you I was on that plane, right next to the first bomb. I’m sorry I never shared such and interesting experience with you. I’m sorry i didn’t find out sooner you were letting us walk straight to our deaths, patting yourself on the shoulder for coming up with such a creative way of getting rid of the bad reputation. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I watched my little brother be smashed by a huge turbine. I’m sorry I kept your secret and went along with your story so my siblings would still call you mummy. I’m sorry I do no longer legally exist because technically Emir is dead. I’m sorry I believed you when you told me you were happy for me. I’m sorry I had to hear you talk to the airport manager telling him not to let anyone going by the name Lightwood board that plane, instead of telling him 187 people were about to burn alive. I’m sorry I ever believed in you. So basically yeah, I’m sorry I’m your son, heck, I’m sorry I was born!”-He looked so disgusted, tired.  
-“Max…Max is…?”-Isabelle stameld  
-“Honey..”  
-“Don’t you dare to honey me! Is my little brother dead? Mum?”-She screamed, tears running down her cheeks, Alec stepped closer to his mother  
-“Yeah, “mum”, tell her, tell her how you thought you were so damn smart, how you didn’t care enough to be there yourself”  
-“THAT’S ENOUGH!”-Robert bellowed grabbing Alec by the arm and banking him away from his mother, then Jace jumped in-“Do not touch him, you bastard”-Robert let go, but his stare remained on Alec’s. Just like Alec had predicted, stare down.-“So? What’s it gonna be Robert? Are you gonna tell your daughter there was nothing you could have done? Because that’s not true, and you know it. Or are you gonna admit you were too fucking caught up in your job you didn’t care? Or maybe you did, just not enough, is that it?”  
-“Max was not supposed to leave with you and that…”  
-“Fag? Dirtbag? Hooker? Slut? Truth is I did tell you we were taking Max with us, you just didn’t listen, because, well, what were your words? A gay man ins’t a real man? Was that it? And maybe it was my fault for getting him on that plane, but you are as guilty as I am and no lawyer, no judge, no dirty story, is gonna cover that up. You can put that stone face on all you want, the truth is written all over your face, you just gotta know how to read.”-And with those words Alec turned around and walked out, leaving a crying Izzy, a boiling with rage Jace, a broken Maryse and an amazed Robert behind. Magnus however was just, he had no idea what he was. He slipped out and caught up with Alec who was already out the back and halfway to the cliff. Magnus caught up with him and soon after they were standing shoulder to shoulder on the edge, only an inch away from a certain death, watching the waves. Finally Magnus looked over at the blue eyed man beside him. He stared out, not at the water, not the moon, just straight ahead. It was as if he had already jumped off a long time ago.  
-“I know it was my fault, but I just couldn’t handle lying anymore… And it felt so good to let that out, and I feel so guilty about it… Am I a bad person?”  
-“No.”-Magnus deadpanned-“And it’s not your fault, you didn’t know and you shouldn’t have had to keep it a secret, I’m serious Alec, that’s child abuse”  
-“I’m not a child anymore, and with them ruling the cop world it’s gonna be hard to convince any judge the are guilty. And I don’t want them to go to jail, imagine what that would do to Izzy…”  
-“Hey”-Magnus put a tentative hand on Alec’s shoulder, who had his arms wrapped around himself. When he wasn't rejected he moved his arm so he was hugging Alec to his chest, until he was fully hugging his teary eyed messed up Alec.-“It’s okay to let go once in a while. There’s nothing wrong with crying, there’s nothing wrong with getting your feelings out, it’s all right…”-And there he was, just like Alec had hugged Magnus in the back of the SUV, now Magnus hugged Alec, who’s buzz was wearing off and with it his facade, leaving the true, hurt Alec exposed. The Alec Magnus had fallen in love with.


	38. Exit

-“Isabelle?”  
-“Go away”  
-“Please come out”  
-“Fuck off”  
-“Please”  
-“I said FUCK OFF”  
-“Isabelle, please, we need to talk”  
-“Leave me the fuck alone”  
-“Please, I want to explain everything, just please open the door, please?”   
-“Get lost Maryse”  
-“It’s been 3 days, we need to talk”  
-“Leave.Now”  
-“Please just hear us out”  
-“I don’t want to see you, what makes you think I wanna talk to you?”  
-“You don’t even have to talk, just listen. Please”  
-“Where’s Alec?”  
-“Your brother left”  
-“Left? Or you kicked him out? I’m not talking to you again until you find Alec and bring him back”  
-“We did not tell him to leave. He run off with some guy”  
-“With Magnus?”  
-“No, a blond one…Please come out…we’ll be downstairs in the kitchen”  
-“…”  
-“Isabelle your father and I are sorry and we’d like to tell you the whole story…please”  
-“…”  
-“We’ll be waiting for you”  
-“…”  
-“Please”  
-“…”


	39. Ink on paper

Dear Izzy, 13/12/2015

I’m sorry for everything, for not telling you, for letting Max die, for running away, for not trusting you. I understand if you can’t forgive me, but please know I love you. How’s Jace? Please tell him how sorry I am for everything. I really miss you guys, and I’m really very sorry for everything I put you through.

Hugs,  
Alec

PS;  
How’s Magnus doing?

 

Dear Jace, 24/12/2015

I’m back in Spain and it’s amazing. The weather is great and everyone is still like I remembered. Pablo got a new tattoo, a coyote attacking a horse. I’m not sure what it’s supposed to mean, but it looks pretty good. Emir’s family was so happy to see me that they kicked out the housekeeper just so I could have his room and wouldn’t have to pay the hotel, so I could say longer. Laura (Emir’s baby sister) drew me a couple of pictures and made me a good luck-fuck the hater bracelet (that’s how she called it). They deserve to know the whole truth, so tomorrow I’m leaving for Amsterdam, I’m gonna bring Laure her big brother back. I really miss you and Izzy, hope you are happy.

Merry Christmas,  
Alec

PS;  
Do me a favor and please leave the blue ribbon that’s in my bottom drawer tied to the pond with the ducks at Central park, thanks.

 

Dear Izzy, 31/12/2015

I’m somewhere in the desert, not really sure where. I don’t even know if you’re going to get this letter, did you know they transport mail inside hollow camel backs? Just kidding, although they do load them on camels and carry them around for miles until hey reach the next city and there they give them to the next post service so the can carry them to the next biggest city. Weird system. Anyway, I’m currently redder than a blushing lobster. Anyhow, happy new year!

Kisses,  
Alec

 

Dear Izzy, 22/02/2016

I found the agent who was in charge of disposing Emir’s identity, guess what name he got: Keizer. Guess he didn’t want to go far from the theme. I’m on my way to the Bahamas, following a lead that might lead me to the most awkward moment of my entire life or some nice vacations and a tan (that’s what you call brown skin right?). Next to me there’s this huge african woman with more pears in her hair than Magnus has in his entire closet. 

Love,  
Alec

Ps;  
Is the kitchen still there? Or has it already burned down?

 

Dear Izzy, 07/03/2016

Guess who got to spend a week walking around a deserted island cuz he got on the wrong ship? NOT ME. I did get on the wrong boat, but I wasn’t alone. I needed up on some survival reality show. I didn’t win, but now I know how to make fire with a rubber band and a stick, I know I hate coconut milk and let me recommend this; DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CLIMB A PALM TREE, MONKEYS ARE EVIL CREATURES…

Hugs,  
Alec

PS;  
I seriously need to buy some sunblock

 

Dear Jace, 19/03/2016

I’m somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and the weather is bad, as in storms and freaking “end of the world” high waves. I spend half the day hovering over the toilet and the other half being pulled out of the water. How’s Clary? Is she getting used to the Jacehoodness or are you still at war? How are Izzy and Simon doing?

Really hope I don’t drown,  
Alec

 

Dear Magnus, 01/04/2016

I’m not sure why I’m writing to you, I guess I just wanted to apologize for leaving like that and for well, for it taking me so long to apologize. But I just needed to get out, get away. And besides, now that the big secret is out and I’m sure my parents won’t try to hurt Emir again I gotta bring him back to his family. They deserve to know their son/brother/cousin/nephew and soon to be brother in law or uncle (I’m not really good with the family tree thing), is alive. He deserves his life back, even if I can’t be part of that life. I’m fine with it, it still hurts, but I’m getting better at waking up (it’s weird, most people can’t sleep). I don’t know if you care, but I really miss you. I really liked you, I just felt guilty. Every time you walked into the room, or you hugged me, heck even if you just looked at me, I felt like I was cheating on Emir. Maybe thats what this is all about, closure or something. Right now I’m in Sidney waiting for a chopper to take me south. Finding Emir is harder than I expected, they did a good job hiding him. Sometimes I wish I wasn’t this smart, I can’t stop thinking, thoughts run through my head, the “what-ifs” won’t stop and every decision I make is followed by a “but”.

I’m sorry for everything,  
Alec

PS;  
How’s the Chairman doing?

 

 

Dear Izzy, 28/05/2016

I’m in Korea, promise me you will never visit Korea. These people are crazy. I needed special permission to leave my hotel, a hotel which I was assigned. Every single paper is covered in publicity about politics and shit. I found a little girl begging for money on the street, willing to hook up with anyone for 3 $. She was 7! I took her with me, her name’s Yuli, and her family is a mess. I hate Korea. Seriously do. Right now I’m on a plane, scared out of my mind, I’m serious, it took me over an hour to set a single foot on the damned machine. Anyway, I’m here, convinced I’m gonna die, being worshiped by Yuli’s family, which consists of 5 girls, all under 16, all prostitutes. Two boys, 12 and 19, both slaves, a 69 year old grandma, a hooker too, a drug dealing father and their mother, she’s about 30 and also a prostitute. I couldn’t leave them there so now I’m panicking a thousand feet from the ground on my way to Germany, I know someone there who will take them in, but oh God, I hate flying.

Love (and panic),  
Alec

 

 

 

Dear Jace, 05/06/2016

I’m out of fucking Korea, Yuli’s family is Bremen, Germany and I’m stranded somewhere in Scotland. These people seriously need to get their shit together and stop playing those horrible music/sack/stick7flute/things. They are driving me crazy. It’s raining, it’s supposed to be summer.

See you soon,  
Alec

 

 

Dear Izzy, 23/06/2016 

I found Emir (What the hell was he doing in Turkey) and it was so much better than I had expected, because honestly, I wasn’t even sure he would recognize me. But he did! It was as if not a single day had passed. It took quite some explaining, but he got it. We are now driving back to Spain (no more flying, like EVER). I’m not really sure what I’m feeling. I mean, the old feelings are still there, but then again, they never left. But I can’t stay with him and he can’t stay with me, but the whole “let’s be only friends” thing doesn’t work out either. You should've seen his face when I walked up to him, priceless. And when I told him I was taking him back to his family, damn I would have done this whole mess twice and added a whole trilogy of lies and shit just to see that expression on his face. It sounds crazy and selfish, but maybe, just maybe, something good came out of my parents trying to murder my fiancé.

Love,  
Alec

PS;  
This is Emir, Alec eta en el baño, please do me a favor and give Roberto Lightwood a high five, with a chair, in the face. Alec really loves you.  
PS2;  
I’m truly, deeply sorry for Max, he was an amazing little man. He once asked me; Emir, are there more like you, brothers and sisters? Cuz I got two other siblings and if there are more like you maybe they could all marry too and they would be as happy as Alec! I really like it when Alec is happy, he’s like brighter and more Alec, and everyone wants more Alec!

PS3;  
I’d love to meet this Magnus individual, he sounds interesting, all sparkly and bright. I think Alec and el would be great together, it’s hard, but it’s the truth.

PS4;  
I seriously need to stop writing

 

Dear Magnus, 04/07/2016

Emir is back in Spain, back in his house, back with his family. It was, as you would say, fabulous. They were so happy and they wouldn’t stop thanking me, it kind of reminds me of why I wanted to become a cop, not to catch the bad guys, but to help the good guys. Nothing will ever make up for Max, and I still cry, but seeing Emir get back to his family, seeing their smiles, their tears, seeing how grateful they are, it makes it all a little more worth it, not Max, nothing can make up for that, but all the rest, everything, all the lies, the tears, the black outs, seeing these people who once were my family so happy again, makes it worth it, so damn worth it.

How are you? Is there anyone new? How’s Ragnor? And did Catrina get into med-school? Have you seen the master-masker, is he in jail or is he out jet? I don’t know if I’m still welcome, and I am truly sorry for running off, but I do miss you, and it’s weird, because I don’t really miss any other people outside my family, but I guess you did sort of become part of the family.

Best wishes,  
Alec

 

 

Dear Jace, 21707/2016

Right now I’m int he back of a truck with some other Mexican and Brazilian, maybe even Colombian people driving up to San Diego. I’m technically dead so I don’t think the border patrol is gonna appreciate a zombie wandering into heir country. No, I do have a passport, and currently I’m Nicholas Minaj a French young business man traveling to see the zoo in San Diego, which by the way is crap. Which isn’t technically a lie, Nicholas Minaj exists, he just isn’t 18 yet, so the baby picture will have to do and for the zoo, I might just go again, see if it is better this time. Anyhow, I’ll be coming back home in August, I really hoped I could avoid all the heat, but I just miss you and Izzy so much.

I kind of already wrote everything you can write here, and the only ones left are Yours Sincerely and I’m expecting your answer, so I’m just gonna say; Ducks,  
Alec

 

Dear Magnus, 25/07/2016

I’m not sure if i’m ever gonna stay in NYC again, I know you were waiting for me, I know you liked me, I might be innocent, but not ignorant… Nor blind;)  
It’s been a long time, and I understand if you have moved on, I don’t blame you. But if you are still willing to try, I’m here and I once promised you the world. I keep my promises, every single one.

Love,  
Alec


	40. If you want it take it, if not, promise

-“…I once promised you the world. I keep my promises, every single one. Love, Alec…What the hell are you still doing here Magnus, GO”-Tessa stared at him as if he had lost his mind  
-“I’m not sure”  
-“Look Magnus, you were in love with him then, you said you’d wait for him and what did I tell you?”  
-“He’d make the first move”  
-“And he did! He’s offering you an adventure Magnus. Tis ticket right here, says it all. Go, give him a chance”  
-“I’ve waited for two years Tessa, I’ve moved on. I can’t just leave everything behind and go in some crazy bus ride to San Francisco. I just can’t cancel out my life because he’s decided he is finally ready. I mean, 3 letters in a year isn’t all that much is it?”  
-“It’s your choice Magnus, that’s what he’s telling you. If you are still interested, he’s there, if your aren’t he’s okay with it, he’ll understand.”  
-“I don’t know. I’m Magnus Bane, I’m not some booty-call you can dial after a year of silence just because there was a first time doesn’t mean there’ll be second one”  
-“Of course not, but think about what this will do to him. Imagine him, sitting there at the bus station in S.F waiting for the 10:45 bus, the doors open, everyone walkes out, the bus leaves, he waits for the next one, thinking maybe he got on later, but no Magnus either. He’s telling you he’ll understand, he isn’t telling you he won’t be hurt”  
-“Right, he’ll be disappointed, so I have to sit in that bus for 12 hours just to please him? He literally left 6 hours after I told him everything would be all right, I hugged him, wiped away his tears and was about to tell him I loved him. For MONTHS I didn’t get a single sign, nothing. Then I’m so sorry please forgive me, then nothing, then Emir asking Izzy to pair me up with Alec, what the hell? And then come to me with the I love you please give me another shot? No, not even love, just I liked you. Are we in seventh grade now? Things don’t work like this, not with me, not this way, not this time”  
-“It’s your call, Magnus”  
-“No”  
-“Fine then, but just let me remind you this guy gave you a boner and didn’t even notice it, he didn’t even touch you! That’s love man”  
-“Shut up Ragnor”  
-“Fine, fine. But I’m just saying…” - He liked his lips-“The sex, it would be amazing. Have you seen that ass, and I bet, those lips can work miracles. After all, he was engaged, that’s some serious training”-Camille slapped him over the head while she casually walked into Magnus’ loft. When the hell had she gotten a key?  
-“What are you people talking about?”-She asked just as she plopped down next to the chairman and took the white fur ball into onto her lap-“I want Tessa’s version, it’s always the best”  
-“I agree”-Tessa chuckled-“Magnus here got an invitation to a world tour with the very same Alec Lightwood”  
-“Our Alec asked you out?”-Camille exclaimed  
-“After a year of silence!”-Magnus protested  
-“And 2, now 3, pitiful letters with no return address…except for the last one…By the way, that’s a damn fine hotel he’s staying at!”-Ragnor said-“I mean, Sorry about this, sorry about that, Emir blah blah blah here, Emir blah blah blah there, come fuck me I want you. It’s as if he were the writer and this was his script”  
-“I’m not going”  
-“Come on Mags! It’ll be fun! He did promise you the world, remember?”-Camille pushed on  
-“Yeah, that’s a big promise Bane…”-Tessa joined in  
-“I know, and I don’t care. He had his chance and he blew it”  
-“Blew indeed”-Camille sang  
-“God, why am I even friends with you people?”  
-“Cause we’re the only ones scrappy as you…and Alexander…”  
-“Shut the fuck up Ragnor, I’m not his bitch”  
-“Hey it’s okay Magnus, it’s a choice, you can go or you can stay. Whatever you choose we’ll support you, we’re your friends…”-Tessa said  
-“But….?”  
-“I really think you should go”-she added, barely a whisper  
-“Jeez!”-Magnus stormed out of his own apartment and into the park, we wandered around aimlessly, for hours, he watched the sun set, he guessed it was about 11:00, maybe even 11:30. He walked and walked, until he reached the pond with the ducks. He walked along the edge, one hand on the railing. He just walked up and down like this until he noticed something, a regular bump, a soft one. He stopped so inspect it. A blue ribbon. He undid it from the railing, it was torn and looked like it had been there for a long time. Though not long enough for the letters on the back to fade.-“These damn woods. Poor gnome though, beaten by a lady on her way to the couch”-He smiled to himself remembering that day, he and Alec sat on the ground after the failed attempt of a “morning jog” which resulted in chocolate ice-cream and a strawberry latte. Alec sat on the ground and Magnus on what he thought was a rock until Alec discovered it was a decapitated gnome. Magnus ID-ed as Tessa’s victim, the made up that frame and carved it into a tree under which they buried the gnome, which by the way was hollow. -“At least we know our taxes don’t go into he park decoration”-Alec had joked and Magnus had laughed and thought about how much he loved this boy who was completely oblivious to his feelings. Or that he had thought. He walked around some more, turning the ribbon over in his hands, he had bought that for Alec as a joke, beaches of his too long hair…Alec had kept it.

Damn Lightwood, right now he would be sitting at the bus stop, wondering why Magnus didn’t come, and honestly Magnus didn’t know either. Maybe it was revenge for letting him sweat all that time, or maybe he was scared. Who knew? There was a song called who knew, by Pink maybe. Yeah music, Magnus needed a party, now and Pandemonium sounded just right. Booze and forgetting was not the best solution, but it was the most efficient.

-“…I’ll keep you locked in my head, until we meet again, until we meet again, and I won’t forget you my friend, what happened, if someone said count your blessings now, for the long gone, I guess I just didn’t know how, I was all wrong, but they knew better, since you said forever, and ever, who knew…”


	41. Guns and roses

-“Alec?”-Izzy’s voice echoed through the empty hall, it had been two months since he said he’d come back, two months of silence, no letters, no Alec, just worry.  
-“Iz?”  
-“Jeez Jace! You can’t walk up on me like that!”  
-“Sorry, why are you up?”  
-“I heard a noise and thought it might be Alec…”-and right on cue the bell rung. Jace opened the door, nothing. Just a gun and a red envelope…  
-“What the hell?”-he murmured  
-“Open it and get inside, I got a bad feeling”  
-“That makes two of us”-He grabbed everything and they went into the library. Izzy grabbed the gun and examined it.  
-“There’s a bullet missing…Jace, this has been fired”  
-“Fuck”  
-“What?”  
-“Read this.”-He handed her over a letter as he checked out the i-pod, i-pod? Wtf?  
-“WaNa KNoW whO’s GoT tHE MissINg BuLLeT?”-Izzy read just as Jace grabbed her arm, startling her  
-“It’s a halloween tape?”  
-“It’s an i-pod, whatever, what’s on it”-He pressed play on the only song there was. Soft music played, like the one in kids’ music boxes, then it started to get louder, more instruments, it gained intensity and then…  
-“…Boys and girls of every age, wouldn’t you like to see something strange, come with us and you will see, this’s our town of halloween, this is halloween, this is halloween, pumpkin scream in the dead of night, this is halloween…”  
-“It’s Alec”-Izzy whispered in shock  
-“Yes, it is…Do you think the missing bullet…?”  
-“Oh my God!”  
-“If this is some prank I’m gonna kill him”-Jace tried, but he could not even convince himself.  
-“It isn’t. Listen to his voice, he isn’t singing that voluntarily…Her his breathing, and his voice is raw…from screaming probably…”  
-“Where is he? Is this some sort of black mail cause they forgot to include what the wanted! Damn!”  
-“You got the last letter, where did he say he was?”  
-“San Diego, but that was July, we are in October!”  
-“Think Isabelle, think!”-she was talking to herself, she was freaking out Jace noted.  
-“Bane”  
-“Huh?”  
-“He wrote to Bane once or twice too, maybe he wrote to him after San Diego”  
-“I’m gonna call him”  
-“I’m gonna listen to the whole thing, maybe figure out how to separate it from the background noise, maybe pick up on some voices”


	42. Chapter 42

-“Come on, pick up, pick up, fuck!”-She dialed again, again, again, 11, 12,13,14…27,28…41 missed calls.   
-“I’m driving down there, fucking son of a bitch, pick up the damn phone!”  
-“Try his friends”-her brother suggested  
-“Numbers?”  
-“Just a sec, usually they ask you for your phone when you create your e-mail account, or another account. Let’s see…Camille…there…”-he typed like crazy, he was good, but Alec had always been the hacker.-“Got it! 665652382, try that”  
-“On it…come-on…Yes! Hi! This is Isabelle, Alec’s sister…yeah, the black bitch…yes, whatever, where’s Bane?…Fuck, just tell me where he is…then put him on the goodman phone…I don’’t care about his feelings get him on the damn phone…Jeez…Yes…From the internet…Listen Bellcourt, my brother is being held for ransom and I need to speak to Bane, so you either put him on the fucking phone or I’m driving down there right now…I am serious…PUT HIM ON THE PHONE OR MY BROTHER DIES WHAT’S SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND?…YES…FUCK YOU”-“God I hate her, where are my keys? Did you get the GPS location?”  
-“Yeah, let’s move”-It might have been years since they got out of the business, but with Alec’s life not he line, their moves where sharp as glass. Every single lesson, every training hour, everything was as fresh as new.


	43. left or used?

-“Why won’t they leave me alone?”  
-“Who cares? I mean, the he’s gonna die was a good one, real funny, want some sushi?”  
-“Yeah, please, and a lot of so sauce”-he was sitting dressed in a white plushy bathrobe on a huge king sized bed in Camille’s suit at the Hotel Dumort. He was half drunk half high, half asleep, half awake, when suddenly the door came crashing down and Jace Herondale came out of the dust, all dressed in black tight leather, a gun tugged in his belt and several knifes along with it, followed by his sister, high spiked black leather boots, hair flying behind her, death glare turned on 100% and a freaking golden whip in her hand. This was so James Bond…  
-“What the hell?”-Camille said-“That was my door”  
-“And this is my gun, now move bitch”  
-“You literally drove down from your castle just to make your point? I’m not hooking up with your brother, get over it”-Magnus couldn’t believe it  
-“Move it. NOW”-Isabelle deadpanned, her voice flat and filled with authority.  
-“What’s going on?”-Magnus asked, not moving an inch  
-“She said Move. NOW”-Jace repeated  
-“I heard her, I’m just really comfortable and really naked right now”-Magnus said, it was supposed to be a joke, camille did laugh, Jace just stared at him in disgust, Isabelle lashed out with her whip, the cursed thing curled around Magnus’ neck which such force he felt blood drip down his chest. Camille sucks dina breath and tried to grab the whip from her, Jace took her arm, grabbed her waist and carried her out to the balcony, for a second Magnus thought he was about to drop her, he did drop her, thankfully just to the floor and then closed the door behind him.  
-“Now Bane, Move”  
-“What the hell are you doing?”-he said, but he did get up and walked towards Isabelle, who he had a new found respect for. She undid the whip just to grab his arm and drag him out.  
-“Shut up and walk, no more questions. I really thought you were different, remember how you said you wouldn’t hurt him? How you stated you had no reason to and how I believed you, well that’s over, now move it Bane, the clock is ticking and there still are 8 bullets left”


	44. NIckelblack

Magnus’ mouth felt dry, his back hurt and he was feeling deeply uncomfortable, constantly pulling and tugging at his robe.-“You are telling me, someone kidnapped your brother, shot him, recorded him singing and sent you the gun and the recording? And you are sure this isn’t some halloween prank?”  
-“YES Bane”-Jace said annoyed  
-“Quit it man, I had no idea about this and the last time you called your brother was also in trouble, he was gonna die too, and did he? Nope, He was out partying! How was i supposed to know this was any different?”  
-“Nobody cares about you right now, nor about me, nor about Jace. This is about Alec. Did you get any letters after July?”-Izzy cut in  
-“Magnus?”  
-“…One…But that was two months ago…”  
-“Where from?”  
-“San Francisco, …can I listen tot he recording?”-Jace motioned for him to go ahead.Magnus took the i-pod and hit play, it really was him, it really was his Alec  
-“Something’s wrong”  
-“No shit Sherlock”-Jace’s voice dripping with sarcasm  
-“Wow, we hadn’t thought something might be wrong, they are just forcing our brother to sing and shooting him, are you sure something’s wrong?  
-“Sorry, but I’m serious, I don’t mean the voice, I mean the lyrics. In the original song it goes; …I am the one hiding under your bed, teeth glow sharp and eyes glow red, I am the one hiding under your stairs, fingers like snakes and spiders in my hair, this is halloween, halloween, halloween…; But in Alec’s version he goes; I’m the one hiding under your floor, teeth glow sharp and eyes glow dark, I’m the one hiding under your steps, fingers like sharks and spiders in my hair, this is halloween, and on it goes. I think he’s trying to tell you something”  
-“His location”-Jace blurted out-“Izzy, the boards, Magnus, coffee, I’m getting Simon, we meet back here in 20”  
-“Let’s move”-Izzy was already out the door, Jace was out the door before Magnus had even gotten up and the door bell rung just seconds after Magnus had set a foot int he kitchen. How the hell were these people os fast?  
-“Yeah?”-He opened the door a crack, he had looked through the little window, but he couldn’t recognize anyone, so he left the chin on  
-“Is Agent Lightwood 5.1 here?”-A woman’s voice spoke  
-“You mean Alexander?”  
-“Yes, is he? At home I mean”  
-“Not currently”  
-“I’m going to have to ask you for more details, this is Special Field Officer Chelsea Pierce, and I’m investigating the case of several missing people. I believe S.S.A Lightwood was in charge of this case here in NYC. May I come in?”  
-“Could I see your badge please?”  
-“Of course”-she showed him, it was real, he let her in, now she was sitting at the kitchen island while Magnus made liters and liters of coffee. Turns out she was indeed investigating quite a few missing people, all families had gotten a gun with a missing bullet, she told him the bureau assumed these bullets had been fired at the hostages, every 48 hours a new gun came, the number of missing bullets increasing one by one, day by day. They never requested any ransom, at all, Alec had worked this case for 3 years and a half until he disappeared. He worked undercover in Rome, Spain, LA, Mexico DF, London, El Cairo and now New York, then he disappeared for a while, surfaced again in Sidney and disappeared again a month ago. She believed Alec had reached a major break in his investigation, got too close, didn’t realize it, he probably even spoke to the unsub and didn’t notice it until later, so he want back and things went south.  
-“And you know all this how?”-Magnus asked, Alec had been constantly moving around for, well, for his entire life!  
-“We keep in touch, with Alec it’s a little hard because of the way he thinks, it takes us weeks to figure out the next location, where his report will be deposited. See, phones are too risky, even if they only use two towers, it’s still a big risk to take. Letters are lost, e-nails are intercepted, so we communicate through objects. I probably shouldn’t tell you any of this, but give the circumstances…We use objects, like maybe a rubber band, chop sticks, even clothes, or books. Anything we might have talked about, seen or even thought about during the last meeting, or the finding of the last object.  
-“Example?”  
-“Okay, imagine Alec and I meet in Brazil, we have some turkish food, to me this seems normal, just a restaurant, to Alexander this is the next location. So a month later I go over every single detail of hour meeting, every hint he might have dropped, to tell me where to go next. But it ain’t that easy, do you play chess Mr. Bane?”  
-“Yeah, it has been a while though”  
-“That’s fine. Now have you ever played against a chess master, someone who thinks 6, maybe even 10 over ahead?”  
-“Once yes, it was honestly very frustrating”  
-“Well this is the exact same thing, only instead of chess on a board we play on the field, paws are US Marshals, knights and queens are field agents, and the aim of this game isn’t to kill the king, but to find him. Now, playing with someone who can think 10 moves ahead is hard, frustrating. Alexander however, thinks 30 moves ahead. I don’t find the files for weeks, even months. Sometimes I find two at the same place, cause he deduced I wouldn’t find the first one and would be behind on my schedule. Now, I know this might be personal, but I have to ask you, have you found anything, anything that sounds like what I just told you? Any object you might have come across and thought, oh we talked about this, anything?”  
-“Talked about what?”-Jace’s voice sounded through the kitchen-“And who are you? Simon sit there”-he commanded  
-“Who’s who?”-Izzy asked and pure herself a huge mug of coffee  
-“I’m Special Field Officer Chelsea Pierce, your brother, S.S.A Lightwood and I were investigating a case involving some missing people, he hasn’t reported back to me in over two month which is strictly unusual, for which I came here to see whether he was taking some time to study autopsies. Now I learn Alexander has been taken too, I believe he caught major break, talked to the unsub, realized it too late, went back without any back up and got caught. We have exactly 48 hours before the next bullet is fired, so we have to move fast.”  
-“Who did you say you were again, I’m Simon by the way”-Simon asked, clearly interested  
-“S.F.O Chelsea Pierce with the CIA, Mexico DF I know who you are, Simon Lewis, close relations with Clarissa and Jocelyn Fray, band named the Mortal Instruments, middle class, 5 foot 7, 17 years old, turning 18 in March, jewish, single mother, sister Rebecca Lewis, studies art, comes to visit mostly in December, D&D player, average student, no arrests, currently having sex with Isabelle Lightwood. I know who all of you are, now Magnus, any objects anything out of the usual?”  
-“Oh…Well, I got this, but I don’t know what it means”-he pulled out the ribbon, she looked at it and commanded-“Story?”  
-“I was making fun of how long his hair was, he pretended to be Mozart, I got him the ribbon, we had ice cream, talked about taxes and buried a gnome.”  
-“You buried a gnome?”-Jace asked, rising his eyebrows  
-“My friend Tessa knocked it over when she came to visit, we found it that day and had a funeral for it, the little kids found it hilarious, well, everyone but the Chinese kid, he cried”  
-“Where and when was this?”-the agent asked  
-“Central park, sometime in June 2015”-everyone turns around-“Yeah, you probably don’t know much bout me Chelsea, but I’ve heard about you, had a little crush on my boy Chris didn’t you?”  
-“Excuse me?”-Chelsea goes, everyone else is probably thinking the same thing, and maybe something along the lines of how the hell did you get in here too.  
-“Excused you shall be, now as I was saying, my boy Chris has been wondering, was it the money or the long dick? No wait, his accent, yeah that was it, those hard Rs and the soft Fs”  
-“Pardon me? Who are you? And who is this Chris?”  
-“My boy Chris, he’s dead, and I? I’m their best shot at survival, to you however, I’m The Master-Masker, Chris’ brother”  
-“Master-Masker?”-Simon wondered  
-“Yes, Mr. Lewis, now down to business, where did your burry this gnome exactly?”  
-“How the fuck did yogurt into my house?”-Jace went, so TMM goes-“I got a key, now let’s move onto more important matters”-but Izzy is all like-“Why the hell do you have a key”-and he’s all like-“You big bro, he and I are good friends, he had one made for me”-and Jace’s like-“What?”-and TMM is losing his patience-“Yes, get over it Wayland, where’s the gnome, we ain’t got no time”-So Magnus goes-“Didn’t we have 48 hours?”-so Chelsea stands up and declares she’s gonna go set up the boards and start working up a paper trail while the rest discussed the gnome, Simon’s like-“I’m gonna get settled into the civerspace”-and Izzy’s like-“I’ll help you”-and Jace is still all about the who the hell is TMM to have a key to my house and Magnus is just there sipping coffee and going crazy inside.  
-“Where did you meet?”  
-“Concert”  
-“Who played?”  
-“The Script, we had a couple drinks, Emir was there too, lovely boy, I’d pay anything for that humor, not a care in the world, we were millionaire indeed”  
-“Alec’s favorite TS song”-Magnus murmured unconsciously, so Jace is all like-“What?”-and Magnus like.-“Huh?”-and he’s all-“Who?”-and Magnus goes-“What?”-and finally Izzy comes in like-“Masker! I need you to call every single relevant person in Alec life, go back 5 years, friends, customers, cases, tattooers, mobsters, agents, boyfriends even hookers or musicians if you can find them. I want every single one of them listed, tagged and bagged. The most recent I want them standing in my living room by 10:00 tomorrow morning. Magnus find that Gnome, Jace go with him, I’m gonna call Clary and start going through Alec’s room. If nothing turns up by 12:00 tomorrow we’re calling it in”-She turns around and leaves, Magnus and Jace get into Alec’s black mustang and drive off down the hill, full speed ahed. Jace turns on the radio, Alec’s CD is still in there, right now “How you remind me” by Nickelblack was playing.


	45. Chapter 45

-“What do you think happened?”-Jace breaks the award silence  
-“…”  
-“Come on Bane, I was a profiler once too you know? I can tell there’s something you aren’t telling us, what is it?”  
-“I…The last letter I got…It was sort of an invitation, I don’t know how to call it…I think he was giving me the chance to start what never happened…I’m not sure…”  
-“He was asking you out?”-Jace looked over at him  
-“I guess so”  
-“You know Magnus”-and this time he didn’t call him Bane, or dude, or man, he was being honest-“For a guy who wears glitter pants with rainbow leg warmers and flirts more than Izzy has sex, you are pretty insecure when it comes to your feelings. I always pictured you as the I-know-what-i-want-and-I’m-gonna-get-it kind of guy.”  
-“I don’t know, why are we discussing my feeling?”  
-“Because Bane, feelings are everything, aren’t they?”  
-“I’m not sure about everything, taxes don’t have all that much to do with feelings”  
-“I’m serious here. This might seem like a joke to you, but to me this is serious man, and it’s bad.”  
-“This isn’t a joke to me”  
-“Good, cause my brother has put away a lot of dangerous people, people who want revenge, people who will get revenge. It is no game to me, but it is to them. The fact that in two days we’ll get another gun, doesn’t mean the bullet will wait till then, they are messing with us, and they know it, they get off on this kind of shit”  
-“…You once were a cop too, weren’t you?”  
-“Yup, I was”  
-“Why did you stop?”  
-“Why do you care? And besides, I bet Alec told you al about it already, so why are you asking?”  
-“Cause I wanna hear your version…and Alec didn’t tell me all that much either. He talks a lot more about how amazing you were, how many criminals you put away, car chases and shit like that, why you left didn’t seem to particularly concern him all that much. When I ask what happened he just goes: who cares, it’s the time he was in that matters, not he reason he got out”  
-“He says that?”  
-“Yeah”-Magnus saw the way Jace’s eyes lit up when he heard how good Alec talked of him, but the light died, and Jace did Alec’s laugh/sigh, it wasn’t cute, it looks nasty, somehow disgusting Magnus a little.  
-“That’s Alec for you, always seeing the best in people, it’s probably what got him killed”  
-“What the hell dude? He makes you out to be a hero, what’s so bad about that?”  
-“Don’t flatter yourself Bane, I was a hero, but I fucked up and Alec might seem like he doesn’t care, but he cares. he cared then and he cared now. Heck, overtime he looks at me, he knows”  
-“Knows what?”  
-“That I fucked up”  
-“How?”  
-“Why the fuck do you want to know? What the hell makes you care so much? It’s Alec’s dick you want up your ass, not mine, Stop Asking!”-That took Magnus aback. Was he that obvious about liking Alec? He din’t hide it and he knew Jace didn’t mean any harm, but he was starting to understand what Jace saw in Alec’s eyes every time they talked. Alec might be complicated, well, everyone was complicated, but still, Alec was twice as complex as a normal person, and finally Magnus was starting to understand him, one step closer to solve the mystery of Alexander Lightwood.  
-“…Bane!”  
-“Huh? Sorry, zoned out a bit, you were saying?”  
-“What the hell are you thinking about, you just made that face, you know the oh-yeah-now-I-get-it-face, what is it?”  
-“Why do you want to know Herondale?”-Magnus could play this too, he could play it all too well  
-“If I didn’t want to know I wouldn’t ask and I don’t need a reason, tell me Bane”  
-“Why should I? You won’t tell me how you fucked up”  
-“I hate you”  
-“Thanks”  
-“Jeez! I have no idea why the hell Alec is even into you, you’re such a sucker”-Was he seriously that blind?  
-“Maybe because he’s a sucker too”  
-“Don’t you dare talk like that about my brother! Not now, not ever! Understood Bane?!”  
-“I’m not the one who talks like that about him Jace, it’s you”  
-“What the hell are you talking about? I love my brother so don’t tell me otherwise asshole”  
-“There see? You do it all the time, I don’t know how you fucked up but I do know what you think you see in your brother’s eyes every tie you talk”  
-“What are you talking about?”  
-“It’s not my talking you should be worried about, it’s your own. You seriously don’t see it do you?”  
-“Just tell me Bane”-Jace said annoyed  
-“It’s you, the way you talk. How you say I want Alec’s dick up my ass, how you call me a sucker, an asshole how you called the guy at the red light a fucking gaylord, how you throw fag around you as if it was a simple hello. I don’t give a damn about your opinion but Alec does, and he hears this things, he relates to them. You don’t hear it, you don’t register how much this things affect him. He is scared of you dude.”  
-“What? Why would he be scared of me? And I don’t mean to offend him, it’s just the way I talk”  
-“You don’t get it, you probably never will, cause you aren’t him, you have always been accepted, he hasn’t. Do you have any idea of how hard it is to come out? Do you have any idea of how much courage that takes? Heck, of the chances you take? No, you don’t and you never will. Although you could try and stop using “gay” as an insult, cause to him and very other homosexual person in this world, that’s degradation. It’s undermining and it is nasty. You learn to build a wall, to stop these things from affecting you, but that takes time and if he can’t even feel accepted in his own house, that wall is gonna be one hard piece of work, by the way, we are here”-Magnus got out of the car and started walking, he didn’t usually talk this much about feelings, at least not to a straight blond obnoxious spoiled jerk. But it was all true and if he was in Alec’s position he would be scared too, scared of your own brother not accepting you, using your sexuality as an insult. But where was he? Why didn’t he go to San Francisco? He should have listened to Tessa, hell, he should have listened to himself and ignored his fucking ego. He reached the tree, it was a pine, or maybe not. He wasn’t much of a tree person.  
-“Steven, death by suitcase, 2002-2015, RIP, what the hell were you thinking burring a gnome?”  
-“Damn he’s heavy”-Magnus said, grabbed a shovel and started digging. Soon the gnome was out and in the trunk. Jace was already in the car, and the moment Magnus closed the trunk, the car sped off leaving Magnus standing there in the dark looking at the headlights of Alec’s black mustang. He had somehow anticipated this, Jace wasn’t the type of guy to accept his mistakes graciously and take someone else’s advice willingly, much less Magnus’ advice. Poor Alec…


	46. Stars fall

His lungs hurt from screaming, his hands were bloody from beating the wall and his head pounding. Bane was so fucking right and he hate him for it. Why Alec? Why the hell was his brother so troubled? Who would hurt Alec? Fuck. He needed to get the fucking elf to the house, fuck.


	47. Chapter 47

-“What do you mean you can’t know where it was uploaded from?”  
-“It means I can’t trace the internet server, they used a proxy server, it bounces off from one tower to the other, from Manhattan, to Mexico, to Hong kong, to Tijuana, To Madrid, to Switzerland, to Russia and it goes on and on. We’ll just have to wait until they upload something else to the i-pod”  
-“Can’t you trace who fought it?  
-“Already did that, it was bought online, with a disposable credit card on a public computer. Izzy, these guys are seriously good. And i’m not as good as Alec and I don0t have the equipment nor the time to trace all the servers”  
-“God I hate them!”-She screamed, it hurt him not to be able to help her and the fact that her brother was usually the one doing this didn’t help either.-“What else can you do Simon?”  
-“I’m not sure, but it’s communion hackers to stick to the same username, I’m gonna try to find his username and anagram it, so if any of the possible combinations log on anywhere, I’m gonna know right away, I’ll also trace the servers, if he uses the same route, we got him or her or them or it, thing is we got those bitches”-She laughed at that and pecked him not he cheek, he could already feel the color rising. Damn it, blushing was Alec’s job, not his.

 

-“Anything?”-her voice droned through the room  
-“No ma’am, where are they anyway? The drive isn’t short, but it ain’t this long either”-TMM told the blond woman standing across from him, facing the white boards covered in notes, pictured, maps and dates-“What’s all that?”  
-“I had my team bring me everything we had on the kidnappings, it’s hard though.”  
-“Hard? How?”  
-“Alexander was the head of the operation, so most of this doesn’t make any sense to anyone but to him”-she gestured at the diagrams and dates-“What happened in the 23 February? What does “THC 985 OAX 84” mean? Who is Toulouse? What’s with all the pictures of Chinatown? Why is there a whole stack of white paper in this box with a bunch of watches?”  
-“Watches? What kind of watches?”-TMM asked, Alec once asked him for his watch, when he had bought it, where and that kind of stuff, when he asked what all that was about Alec told him watches tell you a lot about people. He didn’t ask what exactly they told you, he knew he wouldn’t get it. Alec was just to fucking smart and sometimes, he felt sorry for him.  
-“All, every single watch I have ever seen and every other watch I have never seen too. Old, new, broken, working, digital, there’s even a McDonald’s happy meal watch! Look at this one, it’s at least 100 years old, what did he need these for? Whats with the paper? It isn’t lemon juice, it isn’t invisible inc, it isn’t anything! It isn’t even fucking stak of ordinary paper!-She threw her head into he air frustrated. And immediately went on, standing up, walking around the table and gesturing at random books, boxes, files, evidence bags, but pretty much just at random shit-“It’s not just the paper, it’s everything! There are tons of boxes filled with trash, thousands of evidence bags containing a million different kinds of shit, autopsy reports with numbers and notes not hem, in Old Chines! Pictures of restaurants, streets, people, even the freaking side walk! I have no idea what all this is and my partner is being forced to eat”-she abruptly stopped, catching herself, but TMM had hear it  
-“Eating what?”

-“Who’s eating?”  
-“Did I just hear food?”-Isabelle and Simon came through the door, looking like they just came out of a hay stak  
-“Yeah lets eat!”-Chelsea fake cheered in a weak attempt to change the subject, sorry Chels TMM ain’t that easy to throw off  
-“You two shut up and you, talk. What’s he being forced to eat?”  
-“What?”-Izzy said confused, going from happy after sex into the fuck is going on-“Is my brother being forced to eat what?”  
-“I said, Shut Up Isabelle and you”-he said pointing at the bond-“talk!”-Alec’s partner looked deeply uncomfortable and defeated as she sunk into a chair and covered her face with her hands  
-“I…This information was not supposed to be leaked as we aren’t sure if it’s true or not…but”-and she looked up, direct into the masker’s eye-“3 bodies were found, they all died fro internal bleeding.”  
-“So…?”-Izzy rose an eyebrow-“I don’t see how that has something to do with eating anything”  
-“…Jeez… Cause of death wasn’t anything near guns or bullets.”-the blond agent breathed-“Your brother and 13 other people are currently being forced to consume sulfuric acid capsules. The internal bleeding was caused by these capsules being opened thanks to the natural acid in their stomachs, releasing the sulfuric acid, which will then consume the body from the inside out. Your brother might a walking time bomb or not a bomb at all”


	48. used, not left

Silence was the century’s understatement. Then all hell broke lose and it chaos did rule the room for a good 10 minute period, and it only got worse when Jace got back, a hole was punched into the wall, heck multiple holes were punched into the wall, books flew all over the place, somewhere in all that craziness it started raining, then Simon got cussed out for trying to calm the situation down, Chelsea left the room, TMM went for a cigarette, some more books learned to fly and then a garden gnome broke and all hell cam aback together and that was that. LOL, of course not. The moment the freaking garden statue fell off the table and broke in half, a small grey bag came out.  
-“The fuck…”-Izzy murmured as she picked it up, dusted it off and pulled it open, then she turned it upside down. An orange Oxford folder, a folded piece of paper, a couple CDs, two books and a bunch of nail polish removal bottles.  
-“Start with the letter”-Jace said and so she did.  
-“Dear Izzy, maybe Jace, I suppose you ditched Magnus somewhere along the way, and I understand it. I’m probably not here anymore, or at least I won’t be here for much longer. I suppose I don’t really get any last words, but at least there’ll be last ink.”-she sniffed-“I can literally picture him silently laughing at his words”  
-“Yeah…Go on”  
-“…This might not be fair to ask, but please follow the rules, I don’t have a last wish either, however if I had one it would probably be follow the rules (pretty lame, but true). First of all, do not, under any circumstances blame yourselves for my mistakes, second please don’t open anything that isn’t dressed to you. I understand this is hard, but please stick to it, for once, please follow the rules.”  
-“God, it sounds as if we were being punished…I honestly feel guilty right now and I haven’t done anything wrong…in the immediate present that is”  
-“There’s no way in hell I’m just gonna stick to this shit, I need to know what he wrote, what’s going on. I’m reading every single one of those papers”  
-“No”-The master-masker just entered the room-“You are not. I have known Alexander for 6 years now and not once did he tell me what to do. He might have suggested it, but never has he given me an order. We had a deal and I’m not about to break it just to satisfy your stupid curiosity”-for someone who mostly talked shit, Jace thought, this guys sounded dead serious. Izzy didn’t get the message though-“And why would I listen to you?”-“Because I’m The Master-Masker”-“And I’m Isabelle Lightwood, just because I don’t have a shitty nickname doesn’t mean I’m stupid, you know something and unless you tell us right now I’m reading every single one of those papers”-“Bitchy, I like it. Look Isabelle, you are smart, I never said otherwise, Jace you are smart too, you both got a great education and you are bright good cared for kids, but right now you don’t need to know who the president of Uzbekistan was in 1987 or the first 15 digits of pi. You aren’t gonna get your brother back by being preppy high schoolers with a high IQ. What you need is street-smart, you need inside on gangs, drugs, circles, gossip. Right now you need Magnus Bane.”-“Bane?”-Jace echoed and Izzy looked skeptical but spoke in a serious tone-“With all due respect, I don’t think the school’s runway queen is gonna help catch these bastards. And that wasn’t my question, if I feel like getting some fashion advice, I’ll call Bane, but right now I wanna know what you know and that’s more than street talk, coz you are from the streets too, you know Bane, you knew Alec, …you know who’s got him”-she said, her eyes turning into slits  
-“I do”  
-“How?”-Simon asked, his face was a mask of confusion  
-“Did you ever wonder what my real name is? Did you ever ask yourself why does this dude know Alec? Why does he talk so much and so little? What’s with all the show? Well, let me tell you this my little motherfuckers, you haven’t. You have never asked yourselves these questions and that’s why you haven’t even noticed your brother isn’t in the country anymore, it’s why you haven’t noticed the 6 new songs uploaded to the i-pod, it’s why you haven’t noticed the fact that the one bullet left in the gun isn’t a sign for one bullet being fired, but for six being fired and that one being left. It’s why you want to read every single letter in the folder, and it’s why you aren’t half as smart as you think you are. A piece of masker advice; Stop caring and start working, because by now your brother’s guts are being fried and, this I tell you from personal experience, it is an extremely unpleasant feeling.”


	49. Chapter 49

Camille, Camille, Camille…Where the hell was she? Why isn’t anyone picking up their phones? Why was h even in this situation? He walked by the lake, over the bridge, across the street, into the alley, past Pandemonium, past his loft, and into the tattoo parlor. He had never been to one before, but the minute he sat foot into the room he got why Alec rigged these places so much. Beautiful, was playing in the background, neon lights shone in from the street, designs covered the walls, the floor, the ceiling, tall black chairs and a big red curtain which probably hid the actual studio. There was a young woman in a red evening dress and smokey eyes sitting on a leather chair listening to Christina Aguilera, smoking a cigarette, taking incredibly long drags. Magnus noticed he had seen once before, wearing a different dress and dancing on table tops, her eyes shone with glee then, they shone with tears tonight. “…Goes to family dinners and that kind of stuff. She’s probably the happiest woman I know…” That night, he had met so many people, he had had a glimpse into Alec’s world, into his circles, into him and yet neither the party not the people helped him figure out the mystery Alexander Lightwood was. Is, shit, he is, not was.

She didn’t even look up, tears stained her cheeks, her voice however steady and low, smokey as her eyes.-“Magnus Bane”  
-“Kate”  
-“One way or another, one day or another, everyone meets. The first time you don’t ask and you don’t tell, the second however, things are different, aren’t they? I didn't ask you why you loved him, you didn’t ask me why I was there, the lights were brights and the smiles real, but now, the curtain’s closed and the lights are off. So tell me, when did he leave?”  
-“A little over a year”  
-“And you are still looking?”-A different voice echoed over Aguilera’s.-“Katherine”-she nodded at him-“Ah…Bane, I was wondering when you’d come around”  
-“You were?”  
-“It was your party after all that brought him here. Besides, you’ve been living here for ages, walked past this window a thousand times, and if you don’t mind me saying so, you ain’t hard to miss Magnus”  
-“Hm”-He wished he knew who this was, obviously it was the tattooer, but who was he?   
-“What can I do for you?”  
-“His world, I want to understand it. Why these people, why tattoos?”  
-“Hm”-he laughed and Kate smirked silently, while taking a 7 second drag of her cigarette-“I don’t know if you have heard this, but you don’t choose the world you are born into, your family is your family and no matter how hard you try to change that, there ain’t no changing it man, it is the way it is. You can’t predict the end nor change the beginning, but you can write your story…and sometimes the story writes you. And your boy Alejandro, he was a deeply unhappy character.”  
-“Stories are not kind Bane, life’s a bitch and Alec, it hit him right in the face”-the cigarette was coming to its end, and so was his patience.   
-“Okay, stop. I get it, life’s not easy and Alec had it particularly hard, but please stop speaking in riddles, and just talk to me. Tell me how you met him, what you think, what you know, but tell me now and tell me here, tell me in a way I can understand”  
-“Understand is a way overrated word. You can’t understand Alejandro, he came to me looking for an escape, some people do drugs, others drink, these people tattoo. He wanted to leave and I let him leave, not forever, but for a while. We talked, we had a couple beers, smoked a little, tattooed and just hang out, pretended it was okay, pretended this room was the only thing worth thinking of.Think of it this way; He is smart as fuck, he’s too smart and sometimes when that brain goes into overdrive, this is the mechanic.”


	50. Chapter 50

-“What the hell did we do wrong?”  
-“I don’t know, but please calm down Maryse”-her husband sighed-“Your pacing is making me nervous”  
-“We killed our youngest son, our oldest is missing, being tortured who knows where, we’ve got the FBI on our backs, the press asking questions and mY PACING IS MAKING YOU NERVOUS?-She was beat red buy the end of the sentence, her pulse racing and her brain asking itself why she married this-this-this rock! He had no freaking feelings! Although the press was pretty bad…  
-“Of course I care! I just need to think!”  
-“Sure”-Maryse added distantly, discreetly rolling her eyes as she approached one of the huge windows which overlooked the lake. She understood why Alec had moved back here, he truly had done a fantastic job remodeling, even if he destroyed half the offices and demolished a third of the walls to replace them with glass, it was amazing, not her first choice, but definitely a great one.


	51. it ended badly indeed

-“And what caused this short circuit?”-Magnus asked carefully. Kate got up, lit another cigarette and handed it to him, gesturing for him to sit down, he did, sit down that is, smoking however was something he had no intention of taking back up ever again. She just laughed, shaking her shampoo-add curls and walked to the door, murmuring with a small Mona Lisa smile on her lips-“They all come back around eventually,some sooner and others later, same story, different faces”-she turned the sign around, so they read open, others read closed.-“You know Magnus, for a player you were held pretty highly”  
-“Ah”-Magnus nodded before turning to the tattooer, who had turned out to be Portugal, great name-“How does one of my parties fit into all of this?”  
-“A year ago maybe, the Lightwoods came back to the city, I guess they even went to your school. Isabelle and the blond dude were at one of your parties, Alejandro was picking them up afterwards, I don’t know what day it was, I mean for me it was Tuesday, but for him it was something else, a rough one, his siblings wouldn’t come down, insulted him, the usual shit, if you know what I mean.”-Magnus nodded-“Well, as I said, it wasn’t a great day for him, he wasn’t even happy being in the city, and getting all that shit from his family, he was pretty frustrated. He showed up here, that was the first time, great guy thank God I don’t have to deal with that life, were my first thoughts, but as you may have noticed, people in this, like you said, “world” aren’t that simple, nothing is, he came back from time to time, he’s vague, seriously vague, and he’s got a huge alcohol tolerance, or whatever you call it, he could down 10 beers, smoke an entire packet of cigarettes, do some coke and not a minute later he would draw you a Picasso, make coffee and recite Shakespeare while walking a straight line. But drinking isn’t his only talent, he’s a world champion at bottling everything up, literary every single fucking issue, never talked about his feeling, about problems sure, but how he felt, hell no.”

-“But lets not despair, cause the poor man was an open book”-Kate laughed, Magnus’ eyes turned into slits and glaring at her was more of a reflex than a voluntarily action. She just laughed harder, lighting yet another cigarette-“And you are too Magnus”-she grinned at the tattooer, who just rolled his eyes and sighed-“Stop it Kate…You know how this ended the last time you tried it, so don’t even try”.  
-“It ended badly indeed”  
-“What ended badly?”-Magnus inquired carefully  
-“Badly?”-he laughed-“It’s time for you to go Kate, your life is waiting”  
-“Yes Captain”-She nodded at him, turned to Magnus and handed him the cigarette-“Better plan something big hon, cause forgiveness is easy, it’s the second chance that’s expensive”-and she left  
-“Forgiveness?”-Magnus resigned himself to talking in riddles, these people couldn’t seem to do anything else.  
-“She means Alejandro. Look Mr. Bane, I’m no fan of secrets but I’m a man of my word. The deal is pretty basic, listen, don’t ask, don’t tell. So unless you are gonna tell me why you want this so bad right now, when you had over two years to talk to him in person. Tell me, what’s so important about this man that makes the risk of coming down here worth it?”  
-“Eh…Well, see, I can’t really tell you anything if you don’t tell me what you know first”  
-“What, are we in third grade now? I don’t need details, just speak hypothetically”  
-“Okay…So if hypothetically speaking Alec had been involved with some dangerous people, and now would be in a lot of trouble, which these hypothetical enemies, and he would hypothetically speaking be tortured, to what length would you got to help us find him? Hypothetically speaking, that is”-Portugal stayed silent for a while, before answering very carefully  
-“Have you been receiving letters from him for over a year, which stopped with an invitation to San Francisco?”-Magnus’ looked up surprised-“Yes”  
-“Who’s involved in the search?”  
-“…His family, his former partner Chelsea, a friend of his everyone calls The Masker master and we’ll until recently me, but nobody seems o want me around”-he sighed-“I mean, I helped find this gnome Alec wanted us to find and then I was kinda kicked out”-he smiled sadly, he couldn’t care less about what Jace thought of him, but it still hurt to be left out, he cared too, more that he wanted or liked to admit.  
-“Former partner?”  
-“Yeah, this blond tall woman who worked with him and who thinks Alec caught a major break and walke into some trap, idk, she’s weird”  
-“You need to get rid of her right now”  
-“What?”  
-“Okay listen Bane, this isn’t a game anymore, this is serious. There was no investigation and Chelsea isn’t Alex ex-partner, she’s one of them and right now she’s probably telling them what you know and where to move your brother to, get hold of Em-Master Masker now, bring him down here right now”  
-“Okay, but care to tell me whats going on?”  
-“Just get them I’ll explain later”  
-“No way, I’ve seen enough movies to know that when I come back you’ll be either dead or gone”  
-“Wha-Look, this isn’t some random kidnapping organized by someone Alec might have arrested, this is different. TMM is the only survivor. Nobody gets out, at least not whole. Your Alexander got him out, he was never the same after, but he was out. And as complicated as this business might be, everything always comes down to the simplest explanation. It is always personal, the reason is simple, the game gets more and more complicated, more complex over time, but the reason doesn’t. Alec figured out whatever this reason was, they made some sort of deal, but the guys he made the deal with, they’re shady people Magnus. If you want to do this, if you are gonna go through with it, I need to know whether you are sure. Whether you are willing to give everything up for this. Alec made a deal, he stopped it for a while, this time we are stopping it once and for all.”


	52. Chapter 52

Pacing… Feeling alone… Pacing… Jeez, fucking pacing is all I do. I mean, loneliness is nothing new, but this uselessness. Fucking white walls, fucking white floor, fucking white ceiling, fucking white straightjacket, fucking white pants, fucking white socks…The list would go on, if only there was something else in this fucking white hole. I feel like I should be terrified of what would be coming next, but truth is, I felt kinda exited, anxious. I just couldn’t take this whiteness for another second. All drugged up, unable to move my arms, trapped inside a white hole with nothing but my thoughts, and quite frankly I didn’t really have any thoughts left. Heck, I barely remembered my name. But looking on the bright side, at least while I was being fucked with someone else got a little more time outside.


	53. Chapter 53

-“The fuck is he doing here?”-Jace said, beyond irritated.  
-“Although fuck does sound appealing, it is not the reason I am here. In fact, I’m here to take you all on a field trip my sweet darlings”-the tall, way to pale, skinny dude said popping the Ps and batting his lashed at Jace, who just glared at him. Simon snickered and murmured under his breath-“Oh my God, this is gonna be great…”-The tight skinny jeans guy smirked and faced him a huge white smile-“That’s right, not my name though”  
-“What the fuck is Fell doing here?”-Izzy appeared, and for a second Simon lost his breath, he didn’t understand how people’s hearts missed a beat, his heart danced a fucking tango overtime she noticed him.  
-“You know this guy?”  
-“Yeah, from school…He’s from Magnus’ crew…Why are you here Fell?”  
-“Yeah you’re right, he does look familiar…don’t see green almond skinned people every day…”-Jace added  
-“Shut up Jace, and it’s olive not almond”  
-“Who cares?”  
-“Almonds are brown, he’s green”  
-“He’s skin colored”  
-“There is n-“LADIES PLEASE”-the Fell guy interrupted-“While almonds are fascinating, I do insist on saving your brother first. First Alexander, then dinner, sounds appropriate don’t you think?”-“Huh?”  
-“Yeah, your brother, the one who’s been kidnapped?”-skinny pants said casually  
-“What do you know about Alec?”-things took a 180º turn from almonds to dead serious  
-“My dear friend Magnus found a friend of Alexander’s willing to let us in on his underworld life, and he also mentioned to warn you about Chelsea, as she is a spy and probably responsible for your brother’s hell”  
-“What?”  
-“Great! Now lets get going”-he said with fake enthusiasm as he turned around and walked outside to his..limo?  
The Lightwood siblings and Simon followed.-“A limo? Seriously? Don’t you people live in Brooklyn?”-Izzy asked, Ragnor, that’s what he was called, laughed opening a bottle of champaign and filling it into a tall flute.-“Oh honey, we might not live next door to Serena Van der Woodsn, but we sure as hell ain’t poor. There’s a difference between Target and Carolina Herrera, and in case you haven’t noticed we might be a lot of things, but poor isn’t one of them”-He winked, toasted the air and drank, smiling at the stars.  
-“So where do you make your money?”-Simon asked  
-“Believe me, you don’t wanna know”  
-“Oh, but I do”-Simon insisted  
-“Yeah please do tell us “dear” where do the means to finance those Stilettos come from?”-Izzy chipped in.  
-“Not a chance, I don’t feel like getting but rapped by someone in an orange jumpsuit”-he laughed  
-“Where do you find the time, I mean with school and everything? It’s your senior year, haven’t you got like a million exams and GPAs and shit?”  
-“School? I graduated years ago”-he laughed-“School’s more like a hobby, knowwhatImean”  
-“No”-Jace said, sounding intrigued-“Who goes to school for fun?”  
-“Someone who likes messing with little blond kids’ heads”-he rolled his window down-“Do you see those stars?”-Jace nodded, confused-“No, you don’t.”-Ragnor corrected him-“You don’t see stars, you just see light, the ghost of what the where. The faint glow of a past glory…Jeez, I should write a book”  
-“That sounds so like something Alec would say”-Izzy smiled sadly, Ragnor chuckled  
-“Yes”-Jace echoed, Ragnor chuckled and looked out the window, shaking his head-“What?”-She asked-“It’s just…God you are SO Alexander’s siblings…I mean…He did actually tell me that, in this same limo, under this same sky…It’s just, funny thing is he even said the book part, you know how he goes a little higher with the Es whenever he says “Jeez”…and Magnus speaks like that too, sometimes, so I’m all like yeah, you could write a whole bunch of bestsellers together and Magnus goes; nah, people like us don’t write books, we are written about…And it was then I knew…Oh God…It’s just so fucking ridiculous…All so ridiculous”-he shook his head and leaned back into the seat, rolling the window back up and leaning his head against it. He looked so much younger now, the mascara was starting to run down his face, his smile fading and his look a thousand miles away. Clary would have loved to draw him, unfortunately Izzy didn’t.-“You knew what?”-she demanded, Ragnor just smiled sadly as he dozed off.-“Unbelievable…”she murmured

By the time they arrived infant of some tattoo parlor Simon had dozed off as well, so the sudden stop, red light from the sign and Magnus’ knocking on the window came as a small shock. They walked in, just to meat The Master Masker, lying on a leather couch with a leather jacket thrown over him, the tattoo artist, Portugal, sat in a tall leather chair by the counter talking to a beautiful Latina, Eva, and well, Magnus looked like he hadn’t slept in years, make up smudged, bags under his eyes and mismatched socks, although that could be on porpoise, you never really could tell with him.  
Jace headed into the back to use the restroom, Magnus sank into a chair, worry written all over his face, unlike Ragnor before in the car, he looked a thousand years old. Ragnr talked to Magnus for a while, it surprised Simon how Fell treated Magnus with so much care, not the couple type, but rather the brotherly love kind of care. He knew they were friends, but not that close. Both seated in the chair, Magnus leaning into his friend, who run his hands through his hair, they whispered, Simon couldn’t really catch anything, he just stood there by the wall, watching. They were all waiting for TMM to wake up, why? Magnus and Portugal wouldn’t say.  
-“If they didn’t look so different I would have thought they were brothers”-a voice said awfully close to him, he turned around. It was Isabelle…calm down…breath…talk…that’s right…  
-“Yeah…you know, maybe they are…”  
-“Hm? What do you mean?”  
-“I mean they are clearly not related, but they could be like foster care brothers. I’ve never heard any of them talk about their parents, not once. And Ragnor actually having a job and everything…It could make sense”  
-“It could…totally…Maybe they are”-she agreed, leaning into him  
-“And you? How are you holding up?”-he knew she wasn’t doing well, but talking about it tended to help  
-“I don’t know. I don’t know anything anymore Simon. I have no idea who Alec is, hell, I don’t even know who I am”-she sounded really small  
-“Alec’s your big brother, he has always been and he always will be.”  
-“Yeah, and that’s all I know. I didn’t even know he was gay, I don’t even know what he did after he turned 13 and Jace and I left”  
-“He did what every 13 year old did, I mean, double agent/creepy parents aside, dealing with weird feelings, falling hard for someone who doesn’t even know you exist, jerk off for the first time, discover porn, laugh at the mentioning of the word penis, cry over exams, feel deeply uncomfortable during doctor’s appointments, deal with pubic hair, freak out at his first boner, discover skateboards, get caught up in some video game, the usual 13 year old crap.”  
-“Alec didn’t do those things…he’s different”  
-“Believe me, he did. And besides, he turned out just fine, didn’t he?”  
-“Yeah, except for having a secret life, being a freaking rockstar, befriending all sorts of messed up people, being engaged at 19, 18? I don’t even know when he got engaged!”-she was starting to freak out, Magnus looked up, Ragnor snickered.  
-“What the hell are you laughing at Fell?”-Tears prickled in her eyes-“What did you even mean you knew?”-she run her hands though he long dark hair  
-“You knew what?”-Magnus asked  
-“Remember the time we were in my limo and you pulled the people like us are written about thing?”  
-“Oh God, yes…”-Magnus’ face lit up at the memory  
-“Well I was telling them about it and how right then I knew it”  
-“Knew what?”-Izzy practically screamed  
-“I knew it would be a great love”-Fell said, smiling, his voice as sincere as Simon had ever heard it, Magnus looked at him surprised-“I thought you didn’t like him, you were the one to tell me to ditch him”-“Oh but I loved him!”-Ragnor laughed-“Not the way you did, that ass though, you know I got an eye for those things and believe me when I tell you, love at first sight is neon yellow when it comes to you two”-“Why the hell did you tell me…what the hell were you thinking?”-“What kind of friend would I be not to contradict and roast every single person you slept with?”-“You guys slept together?”-Izzy’s eyes grew bigger by the second-“Sadly no”-Magnus said and continued-“But he did sleep with TMM here, or should I say Emir?”


	54. Emir

-“Did I just hear Emir?”-Jace said as he walked back into the room, while Izzy simultaneously screeched something between what the fuck and excuse me that ended up sounding more like some kind of aboriginal prayer, Simon just stared at The Master Masker/Emir, Ragnor checked his phone, Magnus put hushed in his hands, Portugal laughed this ass of and TMM slash Emir slash oh fuck he’s awake, lit a cigarette and took a drag, waiting for shit to calm down. It took Jace a couple seconds to understand what was going on before grabbing TMM/Emir by the neck and pushing him up against the wall, then it took another minute for Portugal and Simon to get Jace of TMM/Emir, who wasn’t affected by it at all, he just picked up his cigarette and sat back down. Portugal proceeded to sit everyone down, sent Ragnor home and order some take out.  
-“So this is how it’s gonna work, I’m gonna give you a little introduction, Emir is gonna jump in with his story, Eva here is gonna fill you in on the operation so far and you will be QUIET, no questions asked until the end, am I clear?”  
-“Wh”-“HAVE I MADE MYSELF CLEAR?”  
-“Yes”-Izzy breathed irritated, Jace just glared at TMM, Emir, whatever.  
-“Alright, so some time back Alexander came to me, stressed out, just looking to blow off steam, get a new tattoo, that kind of shit. He told me about his dead fiancé, he was drunk, we talked about his life in Spain, about his stupid siblings”-he gave Jace and Izzy a look-“Who didn’t give a damn about his feelings, or him in general. He told me about his life, not much, but he didn’t need to. See he had no idea of knowing I was friends with his dead fiancé. He described him, Emir that is, at first I thought it couldn’t be, but it made more and more sense, the more I thought about it. It had to be him, so I the next couple month I did some digging. Did you know that plane your brother was on wasn’t just crashed on porpoise but was targeted specifically because of two Lightwood kids on board? That’s right, someone with a grudge against your parents wanted to make them pay, and what better way is there to hurt a parent than to take away their child?”  
-“WHAT?”-Jace’s face was as red as the neon sign outside-“Are you telling me MY LITTLE BROTHER WAS KILLED OVER POLITICS? ARE YOU FUCKING TELLING ME THE SCARS ON MY BROTHER’S BACK ARE SOME SORT OF REVENGE AGAINST HIS PARENTS?”  
-“Yes indeed…”-Portugal said, a long silence followed  
-“So you are Emir?”-Isabelle asked carefully, he nodded-“And you were really engaged to my brother?”-another nod-“What was he like?”-“Amazing”-he sighed-“Did you love him?”-“More than I loved myself”-“Do you love him now?”-“…Yes”-“Why did you leave him?”-“I didn’t. Not really, not intentionally, after it I just stopped being, Alec got me out, but I was long gone…That place…It does things to you, it makes you a different person, I guess it just wasn’t the same as before, not everyone can take it…”-Emir suck back into the sofa, lifting yet another cigarette.  
-“From the beginning please?”-Jace said sarcastically, Emir half sighed/laughed, Simon recognized the gesture, Alec did it all the time.  
-“Of course Herondale. Your brother and I met in Sevilla at a concert, he probably told you some of it already. Thing is he met my twin first, but since he’s a fuckboy and a player, and I was too, we played him like a fool. We would take turns hanging out with him, going on dates, playing music, heck even sleeping with him”-Izzy glared daggers into Emir’s forehead, Jace just stared ta the wall above him-“It was fun, we really thought we had him, you know? So one night we decided to arrange a date where we, my twin, Alesso, and I would both show up. It was bound to be hilarious, humiliating even, if Alexander hadn’t been playing us both all along. Turns out he was good friends with Vicky, my cousin Pablo’s girl. All three of them probably laughed their asses off for hours when Alesso and I walked in, wearing the same outfit, we looked literally identical. Anyhow, Alexander sees us, greets us by name, what’s up guys? Nodding, Alesso, Emir… God…Just imagine our surprise, when the humiliated ones tuned out to be us. Anyway, my brother isn’t as elegant as me so he stormed out, never spoke to Alexander again. He even moved back to Cadiz”-Emir laughed-“Alexander and I stayed friends though, every time I would make a move he would go for it and when things got heated he would call me Alesso and then just laugh his ass off for a good 5 minutes. It was so damn frustrating, I swear playing hard to get is the most annoying thing someone can do, but it sure as hell works.”-he laughed again-“I chased that little e fucker for weeks, even months and he kept dating other dudes the whole time. I was about to lose my mind, it became sort of an obsession. You could tell he enjoyed it …man life was good…Then Vicky got diagnosed and everything changed. I got completely shut out. No more games, no more chasing. Which doesn’t mean I gave up, far from it”-shaking his head he went on-“It wasn’t one of those cancers where people go on about their business until the last two weeks, it was a brain tumor, and a bad one. Alexander spent every waking hour at that hospital. Somewhere towards the end only family was allowed in, which he wasn’t. It killed him, and I knew it. See earlier that year Vicky and Pablo got married, so technically I was family, so I offered to sneak him in. It didn’t work, doctors knew him, he wasn’t even allowed into the hospital. Actually, it was Alesso who came up with the whole engagement story. See, if we got married he would be family and nobody could keep him away from Vicky. He agreed. I thought “this is my chance, my ticket into his pants”-“Excuse me?”-Izzy voiced everyone’s thoughts-“You wanted truth honey, this is truth. There is no romantic crap, no wonderful walking off into the sunset kind of love story. This is reality, and it ain’t pretty. So you decide whether you want to go on or not. The “Alec” you know ain’t the one I know. So unless you are prepared to get to know this Alexander, don’t even ask me to go on.”-he gave everyone a pointed look-“Keep talking”-Jace ordered-“As you wish. As I was saying, I saw my chance and I took it. When Vicky heard of it she lost it. She knew me and she knew Alexander. She knew we had been fooling around for a year, heck, nearly two years but then. The court wouldn’t let Alexander in, I guess someone already tried the trick before, so we took it to the next level. Moved in together, made a huge engagement party, went as public as possible. PDA 24/7, we even got our picture take for some magazine. It was crazy, I knew it would be, but I would never in a million years have thought it would be that crazy. I had more sex in a moth than I had had in my entire life.”-he looked at Izzy, before going on-“Don’t get me wrong he enjoyed it, but it was just so forced. Finally they let him in, Vicky was already on her end run. God…I never thought much of her, but thanks to your brother I got to know her better than I knew myself…but the moment Alexander crossed the threshold and lay eyes on her, shoot me if that wasn’t magical. It made everything even more worth it. After that Alexander…he just…it was as if he had this wire inside him, it had been stretched to its maximum for weeks, and the moment he sat down in that green chair, every ounce of tension drained from his body. Things changed. We went “home” that day, I guess I should mention we had separate rooms, not my idea, but he liked his privacy. That night however, I was tuning my guitar and just writing in bed, I guess I fell asleep, but I woke up when he just came into my room, crawled into bed with me, whispered thank you and fell asleep. He slept like a baby, I sure as hell didn’t.”-he threw his cigarette away, his pack was empty. He got up, went to get another one.-“Why do you smoke so much anyway?”-Simon asked, Emir/TMM looked him up and down then said-“I’ll make you a deal, for every cigarette I smoke I tell you a story, fro every cigarette I don’t smoke you answer a question”-“That doesn’t make any sense”-Izzy inquired-“That’s what I told him a week after he started sleeping in my bed.”-“Wait, he smoked?!”-Jace echoed-“He did a lot of things…but yeah, he smoked…it was sexy, so sexy…but he quit in January.”-“What happened in January?”-“Oh you know, the usual. Mass murder organized by your parents”-everyone looked shocked, but Simon was pretty sure Izzy and Jace weren’t just looking the part.-“What do you mean?”-“Yeah, that question is exactly what I mean, and now kids, please think about that while your teacher goes to take a shit and we’ll discuss different opinions in a minute”-“Where the hell do you think you are going?”-Jace grabbed Emir/TMM/man-slut by the upper arm as he was trying to get up. Simon caught sight of a red seven, with a crown on top.-“To take a shit. You should really start listening to people, it will spare you a lot of stupid questions. Now, if you’ll excuse me my butt hole is about to explode, and even though this might be pleasant when your brother’s dick is the cause of it, right now, trust me, it isn’t.”-Izzy was on him faster than Magnus could blink, who by the way hadn’t said a single word for, for like and hour, which was particularly weird, not to mention rare, for his smart tongue. Portugal and Jace pealed Izzy off Emir/TMM/Man-slut/Asshole, who went into the back while Magnus stood up and walked to the window. Simon followed as he didn’t see of what use he could have been cussing out Emir/TMM/Man-slut/Asshole.

-“Hey”  
A nod  
-“You have been awfully quiet”  
A sigh  
-“Why?”  
-“I got nothing to say”  
-“Why do you think Mask-Emir is talking like that about Alec? Weren’t they in love?”  
-“Were, certainly is the right word.”  
-“What’s wrong with you? You always got something to say”  
-“Ever heard the expression “actions speak louder than words?”…It’s not that I don’t despise Emir, it’s that even though I despise him, I understand him.”  
-“You?”  
-“Don’t sound so surprised Lewis, I bet you 50 bucks he’s bucking the hell out of himself right now”  
Simon gave him a pointed look-“Don’t believe me, go check”-Hell yeah. He walked into t he back, past countless portfolios, needles and black leather chairs to a red door, he push it open and indeed, it smelled like someone had puked, not only the hell out of themselves, but out of America. He walked past a couple stalls until he reached a corner, turned it and saw Emir/TMM/Man-slut/Asshole stood hunched over a sink, starring himself in the eye, shaking violently and muttering something in what Simon presumed was Spanish, and sounded something like this,   
-“…Voy a reir, boy a gozar, vivid mi vida…”-  
He run his hands through his brown hair, splashed some water on his face, turned around, steadying himself on the sink with both hands and faced Simon.-“It’s a song Ale used to sing while making breakfast…Mark Anthony wrote it, I think…”  
-“Magnus said you’d be puking the shit out of yourself”  
-“I bet he did…He gets me, not completely, but he’s got a pretty good idea”  
-“Idea of what?”  
-“Of what I’m doing…Jeez that sounded lame, Ale would have had some fancy words, like idea of this side, or idea of another life…Where are you Ale?”-the last part was more of a whisper, more to himself than to Simon  
-“You call him Ale”  
-“I do, why’s that so fascinating, you probably call Isabelle Izzy or Issa”-Yeah, he did  
-“I mean, out there you only refer to him as Alexander, but to yourself you call him Ale”  
-“I might have gone insane, developed schizophrenia, become bipolar and gotten sever double personality issues, but the one thing that place couldn’t take from me was Ale, and I’m not about to share that with my could-have-been-family in law who hates me. No, thank you”-He turned back to the mirror, laugh/sighed.-“Wanna know a secret?”  
-“Sure”-Simon said, TMM/Emir/Man-slut/Asshole/Seriously messed up looked him straight in the eye through the reflection the mirror, a creepy grind playing on his lips, creating a scary contrast with his too pale skin and sick green eyes  
-“Emir isn’t even here”


	55. alive

-“Do you believe any of this crap?”  
-“Not a chance”-she gave back  
-“Guys”-they both turned around to look at the tattooer-“I don’t think he is lying”  
-“Nobody asked for your opinion”-Izzy said just as Jace said-“Who are you again?” and Magnus came over murmuring something like-“No one asked you”  
-“Whoa there, it was me who figured this out right?”  
-“Right, but do enlighten me on the matter of such a smart guy ending up in a place like this, and maybe even tell me where this fondness for Alexander comes from. And if we are already on it, please do tell me why in 17 years I’ve been living here I have never seen anyone walk out of here with a tattoo, not once. Oh and lets not forget the fact that you have tons of needles but not a single sanitizing kit, oh and why there isn’t a single drop of alcohol in here, why there isn’t a single ashtray and why you claimed to have been drinking if you are part of an AA group. If you could tell me about all this, I would sure feel a lot better trusting you.”-Izzy and Jace looked at Magnus with wide eyes, Portugal looked at the wall above Magnus’ head, which seemed to have grown extremely interesting in the past seconds.  
-“Damn Bane, I had no idea you were CIA.”  
-“I’m not, and that’s beside the point Herondale,”-he turned to Portugal-“Please, do feel free to answer”  
-“You are right, nobody has ever walked out of here with a tattoo. No one except for Alexander. But that doesn’t really matter. Needles aren’t sanitized because stye aren’t reused. I don’t drink nor smoke, I’ve been sober for 6 years now, attend regular AA meetings and I do not plan to quit them any time soon. However, you must pardon my not being forward about my occupation to former FBI agents, as drug dealing isn’t the most legal job in Brooklyn, if you know what I mean.”  
-“They found you out?”-Emir walked into the room, followed by Simon, who kept a safe distance.-“I’m gonna head home, see you tomorrow”-he said to Izzy, kissed her on the cheek, nodded at the general rest and left.  
-“Bye”-Magnus muttered as he sat back down, the others followed suit and Emir was back to talking  
-“Where was I again?”  
-“Mass murder in January”  
-“Ah yes…This is gonna be awkward…Well, lets get it over with. Ever heard of Katrina, the hurricane? Yes? Great, I see you have done your homework, nice work kids. So an evacuation was organized, and then interrupted for 16 hours, by whom? Why? How? That’s what your brother figured out. No idea how or when but he just knew it. Weird brain he’s got up there. Anyway, one night we are sitting in the waiting room looking up at the small TV in the corner of the room, waiting for Vicky to recover from surgery, BBC news playing some footage of the victims, the destruction and all that, I personally don’t think much of it, I mean, shit happens, Alexander however, a whole different story. That brain of his starts making weird stuff, but then Vicky comes out and everything is just put off till later. So we are walking to the car and his brain starts working again, and by the time we are on the highway al sorts of connections have taken place and just like that he comes to the conclusion the evacuation was interrupted by the National Police, whose strings were being pulled by the US Government, concretely CIA and FBI interests, cause there were about 3 cartels caught in there, so getting them killed in a hurricane seemed easier then chasing them down and throwing them in jail, you know with a trial and a plea, the kind of stuff that takes some time and effort. But you know how we have to look at the bigger picture and think for the future and what not, so collateral damage isn’t important. I mean, 348 people, that’s nothing compared to the great achievement of having cleared 3 dealers off the street…Yeah, so he kind of snapped. Up until then I had had no idea of his FBI time, or of the fact that his entire family was basically a lot of mini James Bonds. Things started to make sense.”  
-“Are you telling me you had been sleeping with a guy for over two years without ever asking yourself where he might come from, who his family might be?”-Magnus asked impressed  
-“It’s not that I didn’t care, it’s more like as long as I didn’t ask him he wouldn’t ask me. I ain’t got no pretty past either. So don’t ask don’t tell seemed like a pretty good option to me.”-he smirked-“Up until then, that is. Your brother, one of the most interesting and complex people I have ever met, a masterpiece. I studied psychology, just imagine what a goldmine your brother was. Or that’s what I thought at first, but it was like one of those Japanese puzzle-boxes; pretty to look at, hard to open and impossible to understand.”-He lit another cigarette-“He told me about his little sister, he made you out to be a goddess, I must say I’m a little disappointed. And as for his step brother who he had had a crush on for years, you are very bit of the arrogant, self-absorbed, overconfident, hot, homophobic asshole he made you out to be. Magnus however, not in a million years would I have imagined you had ended up like this, but I gotta admit, I like it, this time I do understand Alexander. And not to be unfair or anything, but I did think he could have done better, after all, he had me and just wasn’t brave enough to face it. Whatever, thing is we started to click after that night, we still had sex, like everyday, but it meant more, it was different, better I guess. Vicky died on a February morning, her funeral was a week later, on the 26th. Ale moved out that very same day.”-His face changed, he lowered his cigarette and sank back into the pillows.-“Wow…I nev…I never said that out loud before…Feels weird…Then it felt weird too…but more like him having been using me hurting…but now…it’s just weird…Wow”-he laugh/sighed, run a hand over his mouth, the way guys always do and after a moment of silence he went on-“I didn’t hear from him for two months, he wen’t completely off the grid. In April I should the apartment, May I went to visit my cousin Pablo in Mexico, when I came back I found Alexander sitting on my front porch, playing with the silver ring on his hand. He had changed, he looked older, he’d gotten a hair cut too. Looked great. He wore a white T-shirt and old ratty jeans. I could tell you how sexy his ass looked in those jeans, or how great the sex was, but quite frankly that would be lying. The moment I saw him sitting there I just started crying for no particular reason other than him being there and me being there and the sky being blue and the ocean being gray and the world spinning and me being alive and him being too.”


	56. Smiles fade

-“That’s all really touching, but please do feel free to speed things up a little, cause your “Alexander” is about to die”-Magnus was starting to lose his patience  
-“Ah Bane, getting a little uncomfortable there? Ha! Been there, done that, anyway, we made up, talked, as in really talking. Up until then it had all been either trash talk or sext talk, so yeah, I guess that was a first for me, never really had a sentimental relationship before your bro, don’t plan on having a second one either, I mean, feeling get me all messed up so I try to avoid them. Looked like Alexander was the same way, we talked about his too. Funny how after two years of sex and living together we finally got to know each other.”-laugh/sigh-“He’s amazing by the way. And, well, you don’t know me and you probably won’t get this even if I explained, but coming from me, me admitting he’s amazing, means he seriously is great…Those were the first two weeks I went without having sex since my 15th birthday, I mean, even after Vicky wasted away…Jeez, I’m such an awful person, but I mean, just gotta deal with it, or smoke and fuck, and don’t deal with it. He would have SO smacked me right now, so yeah, we never really had inside jokes or anniversaries or dates or anything, we just had music….and sex…But back to the music, this might sound cheesy as ever, but we really connected through music. Linkin Park, FOB, Kendrick, Cro Cro, PATD, Sofia Reyes, Mark Anthony, Green day, Pink Floyd, the Mars dude, Vampire weekend, All Time Low, Bastille, Black Veil Brides, Tokyo Hotel, Emblem3, Oasis, Enrique Iglesias, Nickelblack, Rihanna, Parkway drive, Hoobstak, Kygo, Lana del Rey, Luis Fonsi, Shakira, Juan Magan, 30 seconds to Mars, Voltair, Wisin, Stromae, Rock Mafia…Heck, even Michael Elo! It was crazy, he loved this one song by “The Script” called “We cry” and oh my god, “Millionaires”. Anything we did, we did it with music. I know, I know, sounds dirty, but I’m not talking about showering or eating, or fucking, or sleeping. I’m talking about business meetings happened in concert halls, when we visited the Oprah House in Sydney, we took the backstage tour, you know where you can get up on the stage? I mean, it was expensive, but I guess money wasn’t really a problem. Perks of having a rich boyfriend”-he smirked-“I’m more of a go-with-the-flow type of guy, Alexander wasn’t. Not when it came to business and money, and besides, trust fund babies are always safe.”  
-“What trust fund?”-Jace asked  
-“Did I mention your brother is an awesome hacker who managed to hack the bank? No? Well now you know, but stop talking about money, this is where it gets interesting”-he winked at Magnus-“You’ll love this, you look like a romantic”  
-“Shut up and go on”-Jace was getting inpatient, too  
-“That’s kind of a paradox, don’t you think?”-he smiled, he smiled so bright, as if that one comment had made his day, he smiled to wide that not even a bullet in his gut could wipe that smile from his face. But it sure as hell wiped the frown of Izzy’s and Jace’s faces, replacing it with the dead robotic action like face they wore int he field, already guns in hand and chasing the shooter down the street. Magnus was on the floor, by Emir/TMM’s side, who still smiled, his eyes bright, but closing slowly-“Hey! No! No, no, no, no, no! Stay with me. Do you hear me? Stay with me! Emir! Stay with me! Hey!”-he shook him softly-“Don’t worry Magnus, I’m far from gone, I’m not dying, just enjoying the spotlight…”-He talked slower than usual, his voice was more elaborate, but his smile didn’t weaver. Not one bit.


	57. Project Clip

-“You hid your skeletons,  
when I had shown you mine,  
You woke the devil that I thought you’d left behind  
I saw the evidence,  
the scrims and soaking through,  
ten thousand promises,  
ten thousand ways to lose  
And you,   
held it all, but you were careless to let it fall  
You held it all, and I was by your side,   
Powerless… ”

-“A thing of beauty, don’t you think?”-Louis said, dragging his eyes across my body. I knew he wasn’t talking about the music, and quite frankly, he cared the living hell out of me. I knew what rape victims looked like, and I never gave it much thought, but after Magnus…fuck…I didn’t sleep for weeks, not that that was anything new, but still…  
-“Depends on your definition of beauty”-Luzia, tall, elegant, brunette with a great taste in music. I sort of liked her, and if I were straight I’d probably have a boner right now, but since I’m not that won’t happen. A shame Louis doesn’t share my point of view. Although Alexandria and Andrew sure did, specially Andrew…They called him Drew, to me he was dead. Beside stupid, that is. He was just 17 and about to thrown under the bus.  
-“There is no definition. It is everywhere, everything is beautiful. It’s just so common that overseeing it becomes a reflex, a habit.”-creepy was the word for freaking Louis.  
-“Less poetry, more music!”-fucking Andrea…The Italian accent was thick in his voice and his huge frame and dark curls only fueled the whole “mobster” image. Which was kind of cliché, since terrorists don’t have a single thing in common with mobsters, except for the cell they would soon share.-“Move! Luzia, how’s the wiring coming?”  
-“Ready sir”  
-“Good, where’s Perez? I need those files now. And Louis?”-he pronounced it like “Lu-Is”  
-“Sir?”  
-“Stop checking out the artist and starts recording. NOW”  
-“Yes”  
-“Don’t talk back to me, now Perez?”-he stormed off-“Let’s take it from the top”-Louis ordered  
-“Again?”-My throat hurt like hell, the operation where still fresh and I wasn’t quite used to my new voice yet.  
-“I said”-extra emphasis on the last word-“Take it from the top, now!”

-“You hid your skeletons,  
when I had shown you mine,  
You woke the devil that I thought you’d left behind  
I saw the evidence,  
the scrims and soaking through,  
ten thousand promises,  
ten thousand ways to lose

And you,   
held it all, but you were careless to let it fall  
You held it all, and I was by your side,   
Powerless… ”

 

The music kicked in, I hated it. I once loved music, I would never love it again. Ever. If music once set me free, it trapped me now. Knowing what would happen, knowing I could have stopped it, if I had only been smarter. Fuck. If…if…fuck…he said he’s take care of it…damn…It used through my body, through my bones. My heart beat by the rhythm of music. Feelings pulsed though me, leaving me numb, powerless.

-“I watched you fall apart,   
and chase you to the end,  
I’m left with emptiness  
that words can not defend  
You’ll never know what I became because of you,  
ten thousand promises,  
ten thousand ways to lose…  
And you held it all,  
you were careless to let it fall  
you had it all  
and i was by your side,  
Powerless…”-colors blur together-“Oh-Oh-Oh…”-It’s cold-“And you held it all, but you were careless to let it fall, you had it all, and I was by you side, powerless, Oh…”-almost over, keep it together, almost over.

 

 

 

-“He okay?”-Jace’s voice wasn’t filled with concern, but annoyance. A hell of a lot of annoyance…Izzy just dragged a chair into the room, nodded at Cat and slapped the shooter a couple times, to wake him up Magnus guessed.  
-“…Where..What…Huh?”-he had a mop of this blond curls on his head, bright blue eyes and a cut across his forehead.  
-“Who are you”-it wasn’t a question as much as a demand. Another slap  
-“Turn on the TV”  
-“I said who are you”  
-“Turn the TV on”  
-“I sai-”  
-“I KNOW WHAT YOU SAID! NOW TURN ON THE DAMN TELEVISION!”-He wasn’t angry, Magnus searched his face, he was good at reading people and this man here, was hella scared. Not of them though, of something else. Cat turned the TV on  
-“News”-he deadpanned  
-“…case this week. The bombers haven’t been identified yet. NYPD and the FBI have some suspects in custody, however, it does not look like anyone will be arrested anytime soon. Surviving witnesses state that music was played in the building minutes before the explosion”-a short round man walked up to the report and whisper something in this one’s ear, the reporter’s grey eyes widened and after nodding a couple times the grey eyes returned to the camera-“Sources confirm 10 other bombings around the city and the played music was identified as a song called “Powerless” from a band named “Linkin Park”. It appears the responsible people for these bombings hacked into the traffic camera system and somehow managed to play this song all over the city seconds before the explosives went of…”  
-“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK!”-their shooter was freaking out  
-“What? What do you know about those bombs?”-Izzy demanded, ready to punch the poor guy, but Jace touched her by the arm, he looked sick.-“Iz”-“WHAT”-“The last song uploaded”-Huh?”-“To the i-pod. It’s the song”-It took about half a minute for this to sink in and another 10 seconds to be figured out. No one spoke for a moment, but then the blond guy opened his mouth.  
-“He’s alive”-they all looked at him as if he were crazy, which he probably was-“Your brother, Alexander. He’s alive.”-he swallowed-“It’s his song, well not his, but it’s his voice. It’s called “Project clip” and your brother started it.


	58. The freak

-“Everybody wants to talk about a freak, but no one wants to dig that deep,  
let me take you underneath,  
Baby better watch your step…”-It hurt to breath. It felt as if something was trying to make its way out of my head, pounding on the inner walls of my skull. My eyes burned every time I opened them, light was my bane.  
-“Oh fuck!”  
-“Come on asshole, sing!”  
-“We haven’t got all day, move it!”  
-“Por Dios Luzia, solo dale un segundo, siempre podemos seguir mañana o coger a Andrea”  
-“Una puta mierda. Lleva haciendo esto toda la tarde, y lo sabe.”  
-“Lightwood! Sing, NOW!”-why did they have to scream? It hurt, so badly. He knew what was happening to him. Poor Drew, other than being called Andrea, which wasn’t his name, it was Andres, but respect isn’t all that important around here. It probably comes right next to health, which was about as important as North Korean politics right now.


	59. Underneath

-“…Underneath tears in my eyes,  
Underneath stars in my black and blue sky,  
And Underneath, underneath my skin,  
underneath the death of my sin  
look at me  
now do you see!  
Underneath, underneath, underneath  
Underneath, underneath yeah  
Wellcome to my world of truth,  
I don’t wanna hide any part of me from you…”

-“This has to stop. It’s the forth attack this month and we aren’t any fucking closer to finding Alec. What the fuck are you even doing?”  
-“Coffee…?”-Magnus looked at her with a questioning look on his face, was she all right?  
-“Hey”-Simon shushed her  
-“Don’t hey me Simon! I need my brother now! Anything, nay leads?”-it was Jace’s turn now to be attacked. He was just coming back from DC , where he had been checking in with their parents and the secret council of jackass spies dressed in pant suits and tight smiles, AKA the FBI headquarters AKA probably the most boring place on Earth  
-“Maybe”-he kicked off his shoes, toss this tie on the couch and leaned against the door with a huge frown on his face.-“The FBI has known where Alec was all along.”  
-“WHAT?”-Magnus nearly spit his coffee in Simon’s face-“And they just sat there while their bosses’ son was tortured, sorry, is tortured?”  
-“Shut up Bane. Izzy…”  
-“What is it?”-she had this terrifying look in her eyes, a look of hope, Magnus feared would be shattered in a matte row seconds  
-“Mum and Dad authorized this shit. They sold Alec to this organization called “The Malware” in exchange of a bunch of hostage locations.”  
-“They did what?!”  
-“Hear me out first Iz. You gotta look at the bigger picture here”-he held her back as she tried to slap him-“Izzy! Listen! It makes sense. It isn’t right, but it makes sense. One life for 50, that’s a great deal and it happens all the time, we just don’t care cause it isn’t us who gets screwed over.”  
-“What the fuck are you talking about? THIS IS ALEC WE ARE TALKING ABOUT! AND ALL THOSE LETTERS AND…AND…AND…OH God…”  
-“It’s fucked up, I know. I can’t believe it either, so on the plane I started thinking, what the heck? They could have given them any other kid with a great voice, God knows there are thousands of them. So why sell their freaking son? Cause he went off the grid? Cause he ’s gay? Cause he left the FBI? Cause ehe’d rathe robe a musician than an agent? Cause of Emir? It didn’t add up, so I talked to some people at Quantico, turns out no one sold anyone, he volunteered.”  
-“What?”-Magnus’ eyes grew bigger by the minute-“You are telling me Alexander volunteered to produce the soundtrack of some terrorist attacks? You gotta be kidding me!”  
-“No Magnus”-he was dead serious-“We have to read what’s in that folder”  
-“No way”-Izzy was shaking her head, slowly, her eyes turning into slits-“I’m not turning the last thing I’ve got left of my brother over to evidence”  
-“It’s our last chance at understanding what went down here. We can’t not look in it forever. It’s time for our big bro to enlighten us”  
-“Jace, no.”  
-“Isabelle, yes”  
They stared at each other for a while, Magnus got the feeling some sort of silent argument was going down, of which Simon was completely oblivious of, so Magnus send him to check on Emir, stupid rat boy.  
-“Fine.”


	60. Words

Dear Izzy and Jace,

If you are reading this I’m probably gone already, and you probably had a stare down before opening this. Or at least I hope you did, because that would mean I still know you. Don’t blame Robert and Maryse for this. It wasn’t their choice, it might have been their fault, but not their choice. I’ve been gone for a long time, when I came back I just fucked everything up. Didn’t tell you anything, kept you running in circles. Pretended to be broken and scared, all messed up. Truth is, I wasn’t. Things couldn’t have been clearer. It was my idea to give Emir the Masker Master identity, to have him stalk you, keep things interesting. Truth is I hate parties, and dancing and drugs and alcohol. I hate lies and lying is even worse. So I hope that by the time you finish reading the contents of this folder you might be able to forgive me, cause if I ever come back, the whole scared, messed up scam will no longer be a scam.

 

-“He certainly has a way with words”-Magnus observed.  
-“Fuck off Bane”-The Lightwoods hissed, and Magnus did leave. He knew this was theirs, he would get the details, eventually. Or at least he hoped so, but hoping was dangerous, making sure was way safer than assuming things-“You gonna tell m gif something important pops up?”  
-“Why are you so obsessed with Alec anyway?”-Izzy frowned, Jace gave her a questioning look, but stayed silent. Simon had already left  
-“What? You don’t think Alec is deserving of my attention?”-Magnus answered raising an eyebrow. He tried to hide his irritation, this was his sister. She was supposed to support him, not put him down!  
-“That’s not what I meant. You two spend a serious amount of time together and not once did you try to make a move, I find that a little suspicious, don’t you?”  
-“Not really, why would I?”  
-“Right. Why would you? He saved your sorry ass didn’t he? When you were all messed up and crying over a stupid Gossip Girl joke? Remember? And Alec pulled the undercover stun? Yeah? When you were…what? What the hell were you even doing there? You never told us”  
-“Yeah, what the hell man? What was all that shit with the witness protection?”-When Magnus didn’t answer they pushed on-“Come on, remember crying for being compared to little J? Were her cloths too ugly for you? Fashion crime too upsetting?”-

“just look at his friends, Ragnor is Blair, Camille Serena and Magnus of there goes with little J”

It rung through Magnus’ head like a siren. Piercing his ears, flashing dirty memories through his head, nasty voices - Magnusssssss - No. No way he was going back there. He worked seriously hard to get here, he wasn’t going back. Ever…

-“Dude? You here?”-Oh, apparently Simon hadn’t left  
-“Bane! We just asked you a question? Where you shot or something?”  
-“Leave it Izzy. Glitter is a serious issue. Don’t mess with the Chanel”-Jace laughed, Izzy joined in, Simon just looked down, but still, he was grinning at the joke. Little fucker…  
-“Jesus Christ, just tell us Magnus. It isn’t a big deal, we are all constantly in and out of hospitals”-they sounded so annoyed and bored, what right did they have to be even remotely annoyed? They life had been a picnic compared to his. What the hell was wrong with these people?  
-“Did someone bite off your dick? Oh wait, there wasn’t anything to bite off in the first place!”-Simon joined. This was his apartment, his home. This was-this-thiswas…fuck, what the hell was this?  
-“Simon’s right isn’t he? You were there to get your dicklessness treated?”-Isabelle snorted, they were doubling over with laughter. A knot was forming in Magnus’ gut. Why were people like this? How could this be Alec’s family?  
-“Guess being gay with no dick kind of defeats the purpose of it, doesn’t it Magnus?”  
-“Nobody gonna be moaning “further, oh yessss right there, oh Magnusssss” anymore huh?”-Magnusssss.No.No, no, no. Deep breath, fake it till you make it. Two minutes and faking it would be over. Just 2 minutes…  
-“Magnus? Hey! You still there or are you caught up in some sweet sexy gay fantasy?”-Two minutes. His face turned dead serious, he gazed down at Jace, Isabelle and Simon, put his hands behind his back (cause they were shaking), look them dead in the eye and very calmly he explained, -“I was not suffering from any kind “penis lack” nor was I shot, although I wish I was. However, I am going to ask you to leave now, as I no longer feel inclined to be insulted in my own home. Feel free to see yourself out”-He heard their stare, didn’t back down, he was dead serious. They wanted to play, he could play.  
-“Are you seriously kicking us out?”-Isabelle rises her eyebrows, daring him.  
-“I believe I have made myself clear”  
“-Come on guys, his dick got offended, let’s leave before Magnus junior tries to get revenge”-Jace laughed, but they didn’t move one inch.  
-“I said, leave”-Magnus repeated himself after a while of them not moving, refusing to leave.  
-“Tell us why you needed witness protection and we’ll leave”  
-“This si not a negotiation, leave now”  
-“Or what? Or you call the cops? Don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we ARE the cops”-blondie smirked  
-“Actually, you were the cops. Your brother was the only one with an actual badge”-and Magnus immediately mentally slapped himself for saying was instead of is, apparently everyone else did too.  
-“Who do you think you are?”  
-“Magnus Bane, and I am kicking you out, now .”  
-“Sure you are”-Jace took a seat on his couch, Isabelle turned on the TV and then started making out with Simon. Magnus went into his bedroom, made two phone calls, came out, looked at his guest  
-“In 5 minutes I’m gonna come out of the bathroom and I expect you to be either gone or arrested.”  
-“Go pi Bane”-And sure enough when he came back from a 5 minute string into the mirror and gathering himself there were two Lightwoods and a close-to-tears Simon being dragged out the door in straightjackets, awesome.  
-“What the fuck, Bane?”-Herondale screamed, Magnus calmly walked up to the Lightwood siblings, looked them up and down and smirked  
-“I was really hoping you would have left on your own terms, but if getting home invasion and attempted gang rape added to your record was what you wanted you could have just asked.”-He smiled all so sweetly at Isabelle’s shocked eyes  
-“Gang rape? Are you crazy?”  
-“Not really”  
-“Nobody is gonna believe that. There isn’t even any proof!”-Herondale spat  
-“Actually there is. It might not have been caused by you, but there is”-all smiles gone now, Magnus was serious, dead serious. If they wanted to know, they would. First lesson Alec taught Camille, “sometimes it ain’t worth knowing”, for being so young Alexander Lightwood sure had a firm grip on reality, unlike his siblings who lived in some messed up reality show.-“Yes Jace, I was raped, and that’s why I was in the hospital that day. BTW, Have a nice trip to court”-without another world he turned around and closed the door, he would have liked to feel safe now. But truth is, he didn’t. He walked back into his bathroom, turned on the shower. Tears were already falling from his eyes. He stared at himself in the mirror. People found him attractive, desirable, handsome. He knew he was hot, he just couldn’t see it. Not anymore, not now, not ever. He wished Alec were here, he made him feel hot again. Made everything okay. The stories might have been lies, but the feelings were not. Alec might not have been devastated over the death of his fiancé, but he had been devastated non the less.

 

 

Shit, shit, shit, shit, SHIT! What the fuck did I just do? Seriously, what the fuck was I thinking. Of course he was raped. Shit. It made so much sense. So much fucking sense! Jesus Christ, how could I have been so dense, so freaking blind. Shit, shit, shit! All the security at the hospital that day, the way he had looked at Magnus, heck, the way Magnus had looked at him, shit, he still did. No wonder he cared so much about my brother, he was his freaking saver. And just the fact that Alec was the one to “save” felt like a fucking divine intervention. A damn miracle-“I wonder if Manus knows…”-I murmured in Izzy’s general direction  
-“Huh?”  
-“That day at the hospital”-he played around with the loose threads from my jeans, where the cops had ripped them-“Do you think Magnus knows what it meant to Alec?”  
-“Uh, I guess. I don’t now. It kind of seems like Magnus is the one who knows him best, apart from Emir. Was he even engaged?”  
-“I have no idea. I mean, his family ring was gone, but he could have just tossed it. I certainly would’ve”  
-“I don’t know, it’s been in the family for centuries, I don’t think Alec would just throw something like that away”  
-“Maybe he sold it, maybe he just needed to get rid of the family”  
-“I feel like crap”  
-“Yeah…”  
-“Seriously though Jace, rape is no fucking joke”-she sighed and then added in a really small voice-“and I don’t think it was his first time…”  
Yeah, he had gotten that impression too.


	61. Masterpiece

Eleven more songs had surfaced since then, shootings, mass suicides, a folding and about a hundred Jane and John Does had been found by NYPD. Completely disfigured and unidentifiable due to acid. They drowned in acid. The worst part wasn’t the fact that Alec’s voice was the soundtrack of the third world war, cause this was just NY, but news in Europe and Asia as well as from the rest of America kept showing the exact same things. The worst thing was the knowledge. Knowing Alec was being used as freaking background music for this. Knowing I couldn’t even begin to imagine what he was going through. Fuck, not knowing what he was going through. One thing I knew for sure, music was out of my life for good, out of the eleven songs, 4 had been Alec’s. I had no idea who the others were, a girl and another two guys, or maybe one of them was a girl.It was hard to tell. I didn’t even know Alec could actually rap in Spanish. I mean, he spoke it, but rapping? And the song, “aviones de papel”, paper planes by some guy called Nikone, was honestly, pretty shitty. But still, I knew Alec didn’t have a Sam Smith voice, but so raspy? Wtf? The other songs were “stay” from this band called hurts, you could literally hear how hurt he had been through the song. It just made the fires so much worse. “The man who can’t be moved” by The Script played for the explosion of several European bridges, filled with cars and people. “Laughter lines” by Bastille played for some elementary schools being flooded near Peru, “I see you” from Mika played for an entire glass tower in Tokio shattering d breaking to the ground. Alec’s voice changed so much, from raspy to high, from high to soul, from soul to something else. It was as if there was some kind of dash board on him where you could press buttons to match his voice to whatever catastrophe stuck next. You could even tell it was him playing the piano. He had never been as good as Jace, but he was amazing nevertheless, Jace always outshone him. He tried to hide his feelings, bottle then up. He might have done a master job with that, but I was no fool. Lies hide you, they don’t change you. Rage of a Poet, was sung by a guy with a strong Spanish accent… once one of Jace’s favorites, I pitted him, none of my favorites had been used yet. Masterpiece, by Jessie J, and Make it rain by Ed Sheehan were performed by the girl, her voice could have won the X factor in the blink of an eye. Wet Dreamz, Swimming Pools, Time Bomb and West coast had been played too. I had no idea what these songs might have in common, so I guess it’s time for a trip to Brooklyn. 

I hadn’t talked to Magnus since, well, since he had us arrested and kicked into jail for 48 hours until finally dropping the charges and flying to Spain, he took Emir with him, took him back to his country. Why? I have no idea, Magnus Bane, just like Alec, was one hell of a piece of work. He got back two days ago. If he hadn’t learned anything new about Alec’s situation, fuck, we were gonna be so fucked.


	62. Ps, find Chase

Dear Izzy & Jace,

I lied, manipulated and scared you, but please believe when I tell you I’m sorry and it had to be that way. I don’t have that much time, as I made a deal and I really should have started this sooner.

When you guys left for England I was supposed to go too, I actually believed I was. The plane was “full” so dad put me on another flight. I was supposed to fly to Spain and take the train form there to England. It was pretty exciting, to take an underwater train, although I was scared out of my mind of flying alone.  
Truth was, there was a sort of organization, a kind of sect, “The Circle” mum and dad were part of. When things got ugly they wanted out. I’m no one to judge, but that’s kind of their signature move; things don’t work out? Oh let’s just leave and let everyone else clean up the mess, what a great and easy idea! But anyway, they got out, but had to sign a legal document stating that they would take custody of one of the Circle’s member’s kids. Seemed a great deal at the time, it was even legal. So then they became head of the Bureau, moved to Bejin for a while, where you are only allowed to have one boy, as weirdly girls don’t count. Then “The Circle” got broken up for good, Jace got assigned to Maryse and Robert, big surprise, The Circle wasn’t legal. Who could have guessed? But moving away would look even more suspicious than taking in The Circles Boss’ kid, but having a secret child and running the FBI from Asia, where they had no jurisdiction, so no actual power and taking care of two other kids on top? Kind of hard, don’t you think? So back to NY it was. In order to get out of Asia however, they had to be completely legit, meaning just two kids. Hodge had the idea of making us “agents in training” so we all stayed together. Then you already know everything after that for the next few years, until you moved.

I never made it out of Spain, some sort of passport complications at first, but when Maryse and Robert never came to sort it out and I didn’t speak a single word in Spanish I started panicking, I mean, I was 13 in not only a foreign country but a foreign continent. For a week I stayed at the airport, child services in Madrid is great, however, everything has it’s limits. So after the 9th day I got shipped off with immigration or something. I’m not really sure what was happening, it’s all just a blur really. I met a girl called Victoria there, she spoke 4 languages, including Spanish and English, so she taught me Spanish. Which was quite easy actually, I even learned Portuguese from this old man called Elliott Ruy, great guy, was gunned down a couple nights after teaching me to play poker, I learned german and Swedish from a woman called Swandje, Chase was from the US too, his parents were CIA agents, which was great cause he knew everything from lock picking to forging Picassos. I would guess he was about 15, he also had a crush on Vicky, and I had one on him. He thought this was some sort of experiment, kind of like the Maze Runner. He wasn’t wrong, at least not that wrong. It wasn’t an experiment but a sort of recruiting, and there was no plague or end of the world. Just a couple rich people trying to put together their own secret service. You put all these random people who got held up at the airport for immigration in this room and watched which were the smart ones, who're the strong ones, who were the weak ones and who were just normal I guess you could call it. Maryse and Robert, (I’m just gonna write M&R from now on), so M&R must have gotten wind of this and agreed, cause I never heard of them again.

Thing is, Chase, Vicky and I sort of became a team. Chase was this amazing con artist, if you have ever watched “White Collar” and met him, you would agree with me that he was a perfect replica of Neal Caffrey. Vicky was good at everything that involved moving, nobody taught her martial arts or fighting techniques but you sort of learn that on the run growing up there. I was just the strange pale kid who picked everything up. Figuratively that is. There wasn’t a single language in there I didn’t speak and well, I learned anything anyone would teach me. You would be amazed at how many weird things you can learn, I mean, not like chess, card games, sewing, arithmetics, anagramming and other useless stuff like hacking, but things as random as braiding, playing the piano with no actual piano, just a couple of stones and white chalk, sign language in all languages or even morse and binary code. It wasn’t great, but it sure was useful. We eventually broke out, I reckon you could still try to find Chase somewhere, if he’s still alive that is. Vicky and I made our way South, Chase got lost along the way. We continued towards Sevilla and then Cadiz, all the way down to the ocean. She had an uncle there, we never found him, what we did find though were her siblings, who took us in, I was 15 by then and missing you like crazy, other than that life was great. No responsibilities, no enemies, no FBI, nobody watching you under a microscope, which was great for a change. I met Emir a couple of weeks after my birthday. He was scaring people near a concert, the typical follow the card, kind of thing. The guys from the concert got scared too, the little fucker made about a thousand bucks that day. Vicky and I watched for a while, he was good, but we were better, actually I was better. He didn’t have a “tell” but after a while you started to notice a pattern. Vicky got bored and wandered off into the crowd, I stayed. I guess I must have looked kind of lonely, cause one of the singers came up to me and started talking. I thought he was okay, then he asked about the cards, so I tried explaining the pattern to him. He didn’t get it, but wanted me to go up to Emir, who then, I had no idea was called that. It really wasn’t fair, as he looked like he really needed the money and he was good, he deserved the credit. But as you might know, I hate alcohol and in the end I did go up to him, went all in and left with 1046$ in my back pocket. It was kind of awesome, but I felt terrible so I looked him up, snooped around and eventually found him. I really wanted to give the money back, I didn’t need it, I didn’t even want it. I never found him, but I did find his twin. In my defense, I was high most of the time, so please take that into consideration when judging. The first time I met him, as i really met him, was in Sevilla at this riding ranch. BTW, I think you should know I love horses. Anyway, we kept on hanging out, but I noticed it. I’m not stupid, pretty far from it, so by the end of the second week I figured out Emir had a twin, I did a little digging, he was called Alesso, and was Pablo’s cousin, Vicky’s boyfriend. I played them for ages, until we finally all met at once. BEST.THING.EVER, seriously, just amazing, their faces were priceless, Alesso bolted, Emir stayed. I stayed too, but don’t get me wrong, I liked him, I really did, he just wasn’t the brightest.

I’m hoping you already figured out that TMM is Emir, cause I’m just going to skip the whole sap story and speed up to right after Vicky’s funeral.

The first thing you need to understand about Victoria Michelangelo is that there are always answers. In her ind there were no “maybes” or “perhaps”. There was only “yes” or “no”. There were only two kinds of people, you either like “Pepsi” or “Cola-Cola”, you were either “close minded” or “open minded”, you couldn’t be two Things, not if these were Opposites, you either had parents or you didn’t, you were either homo or hetero, she didn’t believe in bi. She didn’t believe in people who watched Tim Burton films as well as Disney Pixar films. The second thing you need to understand is she would work on a problem until she’d solve it. She fixed Chase, then Pablo and she eventually even fixed Alesso. Which was quite an achievement, she would have made a great shrink. 

The funeral was short and sad, which is good, which is normal. After I just had to get out of there, away. Away from everything and everyone, there was nothing there and no reason to stay is a good reason to go. 

So I came back to the States, I had no idea whether you guys were here or not, maybe you were, I’ll never know now will I? I was around Brooklyn, checking up on Magnus and just walking around. Anyway, I didn’t really have anything with me (literally and figuratively) so when I met this African dude at Java Jones trying to sing his way into the bartender’s pants I just cracked up. The guitar really wasn’t his strong suit, much less his vocals. So I figured what’s there to lose? And went for it, grabbed his guitar and “showed him how it was done”, next thing I know the bartender, this short red head, is writing he number on my cup as I grab it to go, cause I was already late, again, for my meeting with this IT guy a.k.a. the CIA do not actually control everything, the Cloud remains a mystery to even the best. Couple hours later I’m checking into my hotel, when the guy from the coffee shop with the red head waitress pops out of nowhere and is asking me for guitar lessons and shit. I mean, if I needed money I would have probably said yes, but even a deaf cat could have heard that there was no hope whatsoever for this guy’s musical future. I told him so, he laughed, we hooked up, a one night stand (that’s what they are called right?) turned into a two night stand and then into a 30something night stand which then turned into a my brother’s girlfriend is about to kill herself please do something kind of night stand, then into a “have you ever been to Mexico” stand which resulted in a okay I guess I’m more into girls kind of night stand. It was weird, fun, confusing and crazy. But I guess if you know from the start something isn’t going anywhere, when you know it is bound to end, it gives you this extra push to just say “whatever let’s do it” and not think. Which was exactly what I needed, Olivia (the suicide girlfriend of Imamu’s brother? was awesome. We even started a discography together, I signed my part over to her when I went back to Spain. It was time to go back to the real world, I guess you could say it was time to be Alexander again. 

Do you ever think memories are always better than the actual reality? I mean, my time in Sevilla wasn’t easy, nor great while I was living it, but in retrospective when I thought about it, it was amazing. When I thought about Emir, he was amazing. Funny, witty, smart, beautiful. But while I pretended to be his fiancé, which I still was as I never called it off, he was so superficial, annoying, stupid, empty. I just needed to know who he was, who was the guy I remembered and who was the guy I knew. I needed to find out the truth, reality and fiction where starting to blur together, I wanted a serious reality check. To sober up, so to speak.

I figured he still lived at our old house and he did. I watched him for a while, trying to figure out how to “appear”. In the end I was just frustrated and ended up walking right up to him this afternoon. It was weird. He was weird. It was different. He was different. I was different. We kind of tried again you could say. And let me tell you this loud and clear, (or as loud and clear as it gets on paper), I loved him, but he was messed up. He had this thing with a really long name that basically was some sort of mixture between a double personality, bipolarity and schizophrenia. I loved Emir, everyone gets angry, depressed, or hyped up. Some do more than others and that was okay, it wasn’t always easy but it kept things sort of interesting. He tuned out the “voice” through music, there was always music, it was like our “Thing” (it’s called that right?). It was the double personality however, that I couldn’t stand. It had no name, but wore his face and spoke his voice. It wasn’t necessarily mean or crazy, or that different from Emir, but it was dirty. And I mean that in every possible sense. The way it spoke, the way it acted even the way it slept. And it couldn’t sing. I eventually named it The Master Masker. It only came out when Emir was too tired or didn’t feel like putting up the fight to staying himself. In the beginning it was only around me, but then it started to be as if Emir only bothered to exist for me. It even assumed the TMM personality. Emir became this “exclusive” person only I got to see. I sometimes thought happiness can’t be this hard, but nothing is easy. If it isn’t hard it isn’t real, right?

Anyway, I was in love, getting over Vicky and traveling the world. What else could I want? I mean, I even got to see Magnus once or twice, no stalking, just checking to see if he was getting better. I won’t tell you more about why or how I did this, cause frankly, it isn’t my story to tell. And personally, I don’t want to remember this when I read this After.

Now, the After matter. While traveling I was high most of the time, actually, we all were either drinking to remember or smoking to forget. Olivia was there in Mexico, Portugal and Thailand. Imamu joined for Amsterdam and Bremen, did you know there is a cinema there with a slide, where you can go to the top floor and slide down to the ground level? It’s amazing. Anyway, Australia was mostly just sand, booze, learning to play aboriginal instruments, I even picked up some of their language, it’s fascinating, though I doubt anyone but me thought that. Oh, and the Oprah House, (I can’t stop smiling now, it’s so annoying), that’s when I proposed, as in really proposed. Not some fake engagement to trick some asshole lawyers into letting me see my dying best friend. I tricked Emir into coming there so I could “close some auctions”, yeah you do that online and you don’t close them but sell/buy them, he wasn’t all that smart when it came to common knowledge so it worked. I bought the whole place out, no annoying Japanese grandpas in Mickey Mouse sweaters taking pictures in the most uncomfortable angles possible, no crying little kids or aboriginal peace makers. He sat in the fifth row two seats away from the middle. I was on stage and just asked, and he said yes (I was lucky it was Emir, I’m not sure if TMM would have been as nice). He sort of appeared infant of me in an instant, and it was the best kiss ever. It was a fresh start, a real start. No lies, no games, no running, no nothing. Just us and the empty theater, I was never happier, I was alive. This time he got the “family” ring, in case Maryse and Robert are reading this, I honestly hope this disturbs you in the worst way possible, cause the joke is on you fuckers. Sad your son to get rid of the “gay and useless, the child who wasn’t worth losing a job for”, well now there are two, or three, depends on whether you count TMM too or not.

Anyways, we weren’t big on weddings and besides, who needed a priest to tell you you are in love? Seriously, it’s way over rated. Rome, Baleares, Copenhagen, San Sebastian, Lima, El Salvador, we went everywhere. Every small little town, every remote mountain, secret beach or lost city, we visited. I met the greatest people on that trip, well, on that “life” I guess you could call it. Marco, best engineer you will ever meet, also probably the only Mexican to hate tacos. Santa, funniest guy you’ll ever meet, seriously. And JG, Geo, creates girls ever. Murphy, the real Murphy Strip, not the cover I used. We found him in Alaska. Not much here, so I might as well leave, is what he told his family right before jumping on the back of Geo’s bike and never coming back. Geo’s hair was brighter than my future, although her mastery skills weren’t. She still insisted on trying though. JG was actually called Jennifer Gandi the 5th, as in that’s her actual name. She’s a marine veteran, it just took one war to mess he dup and get her kicked out, but I guess that’s a good thing, cause if the stupid general hadn’t excited her to Ireland we would never have met. She was fierce but tore up every single time she didn’t have any change on her for the homeless begging on the street. She, geo and I had this “Thing” you could say it was a thing I guess. Every time we picked each other up from somewhere we would pretend to be chasing something in an apocalypse, I was Commander Ranger, they were Private Zombie and Private Spikes. Anyone who happened to be in the car at the time would get assigned a mission and a rank immediately and was just forced to “participate”, they sometimes even died. Not really, most of the time, they just got kicked out or left at wherever they were headed. I’m not telling you this because it will be in any way useful to you, but I’m selfish and I want to have these memories After. The After matter, you will have received some fake letters, which you hopefully deduced by now, cause I would never just take off on some sort of making right/finding myself mission. As I mentioned, I was “sold” meaning I wasn’t free, not really. So after running away with Vicky and Chase I was tracked down, and given 15 months to say goodbye, to make up an “exit”. I lied and twisted everything around so much that They were forced to just take me out without an “exit”. Making you, hopefully, suspicious and forcing you to dig for answers. However, this obviously didn’t make them happy, so I’ll probably get punished, and as for Emir, he’s buried far too deep. TMM is in full control, so when I told you my fiancé was dead, when I told you Emir was dead, i wasn’t trying to convince you, but myself. It didn’t work though, I kept coming back to TMM, it hurt like hell, but seeing that face, it was worth it, not in the long run, but maybe for a night, when I was so high I couldn’t tell the sky form the asphalt, I could pretend it was Emir, but it was just that. Pretend. Pretend. Alway pretend. Live a lie or die the truth, TMM said that. I lived the lie, I wasn’t exactly happy, but at least I was alive. And I knew him, so there were no bitter surprises, just the same old disappointments. On the one hand if you do find me I won’t remember single thing, cause that’s the price of freedom, but on the other hand, if you do not find me, I’ll keep my memories. Living in the past isn’t as bad as it sounds, in the good past that is. Stuck in time, recording song after song for whatever it is they use them for, swallowing pill after pill, programing computer after computer, writing script after script. Never knowing what the hell is going on, but it’s okay cause you guys are safe, and I got to spend some time with you, even if the great majority of it I spent lying, it was worth it. I even got to know Magnus better, which was so worth it. And Jace, this might be karma or just one last attempt at getting you straight (not that way), be careful what you say, cause Those words could ruin someone’s life Jace.

 

See you After, maybe not,

-Alec

 

PS,  
Please find Chase, if he isn’t here already please find him.


	63. Poe

-Hey, is everything all right?-Simon asked her, handing her a tissue and placing a tentative hand on her shoulder. They hadn’t gotten to talk all that much after the whole “Alec vanishing+Emir being TMM+crazy shooting+terrorism+Magnus & Emir vanishing too+apparently upsetting letter” situation. To his surprise she leaned into his touch, covering his hand with hers, pulling him towards her. Shit, she had all the power, he would do anything for her, and she knew but didn’t care or take the power or anything, most of the time. And knowing she knew but didn’t “exploit”, so to say, him, was…he had no idea what it was. But for once he had good news.  
-“It’s just”-sob-“just that”-sob, slowly calming down, she never cried for long and she had this amazing ability to talk while sobbing without stuttering or seeming helpless, it was the same as always, just wetter-“oh Sy…I think, I’m not sure, and Alec didn’t say it directly but it was sort of implied, maybe, okay, probably, our parents disowned him to be able to keep Jace and not lose the FBI that way…”  
-“They kicked their kid out, to take some other kid in?”-Simon didn’t mean for it to come out that way, but, seriously? Who does that?  
-“Basically, although if put it that way it sounds”-“horrible”-someone interrupted-“cold, insane, inhuman, cruel”-Magnus Bane walked into the room, heels clicking on the hard wood floor, his outfit strangely sullen, a black suit, black tie, matte black button down, block leather shoes. The only color, a green silk hank achieve in his upper right pocket. Hair combed back and, what Simon believed were called, smokey eyes and no lip stick. Weird, would be the adjective to describe the impression, but awkwardness the noun to name this situation.  
-“Mag”-Izzy started, once again-“No time”-he cut her off, once again-“I learned the most interesting things in Spain about your brother, but our plane leaves in 2o minutes, so unless you want to be stuck here sulking around in rat boys apartment, grab your purse and move”-he turned on his heel and walked straight out the door. How had he even gotten in?

 

 

-“Why are we here again?”-Clary asked, clearly annoyed but he fact that she was at JFK at one in the morning  
-“You: standing around, your boyfriend, his sister and I, are leaving”-Seriously, she was nice enough, but girls were just generally annoying, with this “need” to always tag along and state the obvious 24/7. She glared at him, but surprisingly Jace took his side, what a time to be alive.  
-“He’s right Clary, as soon as Kate arrives we are leaving, actually there she comes”  
-“What? You are seriously kicking me out? After everything we went through?”  
-“Technically, the one who is missing a brother, bets friend and better half of himself, is Jace, not you”-Isabelle pointed out as she grabbed her suitcase, kissed Simon goodbye and walked towards their gate, Jace followed without another word, Magnus nodded at her, greeted Kate and then they both followed the siblings.

 

-“So why are you here?”  
-“Isabelle right?”-she had a light Russian accept, but looked far from what you would expect a Russian middle aged woman to look like. She was tall, curvier than Izzy, but he legs were even thinner. She had long, thick, shampoo-add-like hazel colored curls falling over her shoulders and down her back. She wore black jeans and a white, very fitted, blouse, black heels with a reed underside and her eyes, they weren’t grey like the sky, but as grey as burned ashes. Izzy remembered her from the “Ay güey” posada, but she was different then, more gangster like, now she was business like, she probably was lawyer or something. Back then, when she danced with Alec, and they joked about condoms and shit, life was easy, maybe not clear, but easy.  
-“Yes, how did you know Alec?”  
-“Partners in crime”-she winked, then laughed-“just kidding, well, half kidding. I assume you already know about the time your brother spent at the “airport” and how he sort of formed a gang with Victoria and Chase and all that?”  
-“Yeah, he wanted us to find Chase, which is probably part of why we are flying to Spain. We will find him, although we don’t even have a last name”-she grimaced, it was frustrating to know you are headed to find some guy in a country where you don’t speak the language and don’t even know where to start looking  
-“Poe”  
-“Poe?”  
-“His surname”  
-“How do you…?”-“I’m his mother”


	64. The conner

-“His WHAT?”-Jace echoed/screamed/spilled his drink  
-“Jack Poe”-she plopped down and starred out the window, her accent disappearing completely, being replaced by a french one-“I’m Vera Strauss and my talents consist of acting, smoking and making wrong choices”-she then proceded the pull off her hair, which by the way, was a wig, and her scalp brighter than Izzy’s future.  
-“What the…”-Jace started, but Magnus arrived, champaign in hand-“I see you’ve met Mrs. Strauss”  
-“Yes, what is going on?”-Isabelle asked their strangely dressed down, what? Friend? Host? Stalker? Sure in law?  
-“Don’t sweetie, don’t blame Magnus. He just cares. I…fuck…I was the future Mss. Morgenstern once, until the Jocelyn chick came along and ruined it all. Stupid bitch was always prettier. I mean, look at me. I was once lovely, but not once did he love me. DO you know who said that, darling?”-she turned her head towards them, taking out a pair of contacts, revealing a pair of stunning ice blue eyes, nearly white.-“No idea, but”-“Eve Malone, mother of Mary Iris Malone, a very wise woman”-“Never heard of her, but”-“Oh Jonathan, of course you haven’t. She doesn’t exist, not really, not outside. Its crazy, but it’s true. Jack loved that book, Mosquitoland it was called…And I sold my poor baby…”-she looked down, back up and then starred out the window again-“Excuse me”-she sighed/laughed, so Alec… - “It was so long ago, and still, it feels like yesterday. But enough with he weeping, nobody cares about feeling. Facts though, that’s another story, so, let’s see. As I said, I was engaged to Valentine, worked for him at the FBI, technical analyst and negotiator. We were moved to Japan, the whole one kid policy was taking shape at the time, which I didn’t really care about as I didn’t have any kids. Nor did I plan to, but gin and tonics, mostly gin, tend to attract karma, so nine months later Jack was there, never regretted it. He was, amazing. Then some sort of deal went wrong, long story short, Mr. Morgenstern owed some creepy company about a dozen kids. Huh, complicated right, as he only had one, and well, Jonathan I was a psychopath, really. But he still had 11 to go, so who better to exploit, blackmail, frame and attempt to murder? His agents, right! How come nobody thought of that sooner? Weird.”  
-“He took your kid?”  
-“Indeed. Declared me an unfit mother, shipped me off to India and took full custody of my Jack. I mean, compared to me, your parents got off easy. Disowning your child, so your boss won’t have to sacrifice his? A mother-effing picnic compared to being pimped around for five years, while your child was being sold to a mysterious group of, what’s the word? Oh yeah, psychos! Anyway, I found my way out of there, returned to Europe and was too late. To which I made the mistake of giving up, to which I made the bad choice of marrying some asian, and please don’t get offended her eMagnus, but how to put it kindly…ah yes, jackass. Which led to the fucking terrible idea to move to New York, which led to the next three mistakes, named Yung, Ying and Yong. The names? Not my mistakes, for once. But still the most stupid, spoiled, condensed, selfish and naïve offsprings I ever produced. Must be the jackasstik genes of freaking Lupus. Yeah, he’s named after a disease. Whatever, I became a lawyer, cause Lupus wanted me to do so, I’m pretty good btw, I then started buying up all the pubs, clubs and bars on the upper east side, then moved downtown until I owned pretty much everything. Why? Out of boredom, mostly that is, but I found this vintage/Mexican/amazing place that was falling apart, I wanted it. Your brother wanted it too. That’s how we met, actually. I hated him at first, that little fag-She never got to finish, as Jace knocked over his drink again, slamming his hand down on the little plane table between them.  
-“Don’t. Do not ever say that about Alec ever again. Ever. Don’t ever, understood Strauss?”-she looked a little taken back, but otherwise, unfazed  
-“My apologies, but that’s what i thought at the time. However, as the weeks went by, I got to know him better. Ha! Just kidding. I stalked him, asked around, did some research. And found out something very interesting. Did you know he didn’t make a single attempt to contact his siblings, although he had been in town for two months then? Interesting, but also, great blackmail material. Which proved to be, exceptionally effective… Under no circumstance did he want his family to know he was in town. I stalked him some more, found out about ah… what’s the word again?”-she looked at Magnus, touching her ring finger and trying to think of the word-“Engagement”-“Yes, yes. Okay, so I found out he was engaged. And so young! He was this bright, amazing young man who had his whole future ahead of him and a, very handsome, if I may add, fiancé by his side. Emir, one hell of a man, one hell of a cheater too…Although he does have a certain way…”  
-“You slept with him?”-This time it was Magnus who looked not shocked, but angered Isabelle noticed with surprise  
-“Yes, I did. I’m not gonna tell you I’m ashamed or bullshit you in any way Magnus. It was great and worth it. If I couldn’t make Alexander back down on the property, I sure could make Emir get down on me. I am, however, ashamed of blackmailing Emir into convincing Alexander to move back to Spain. It was only after, that I learned some more about the Lightwood mystery, who then wasn’t actually called Lightwood, but Casar. I don’t know all that much, but what I did hear was how he was about to marry a freak, how he was a disgrace to his family and the Bureau, oh and how there was a 650K price on his head.”  
-“650K? You are serious about this?”-Jace asked  
-“I am. I did’t hear much from him since then, other than him actually buying the damn club. He did turn it into a thing of beauty though. I kept an eye out for him, payed off a couple of people to stay silent, the price on his head rose, first slowly, then faster and faster. Until I saw Emir one day hanging out at my tattoo parlor. You can imagine my surprise when he turned out to not be Emir at all, but some twisted individual called The Master Masker”  
-“Twisted? He seemed pretty all right the first time I met him, I mean, he is kind of crazy, but twisted?”  
-“Twisted. Look, honey, you cannot be two people at once. One’s gotta go. And that was Emir. Alexander filled me in on some of it, I kind of seeded him out, he was different. The bright, happy young man I had met so many years ago, was…”-she took a sip and then added-“gone.”  
-“Gone? that’s it?”  
-“That’s it, the genius who managed to wedge his way into my deals and buy the bar of my dreams away from me right under my nose, gone. Replaced by, I’m not sure how to say this, don’t get the wrong idea, he was still brilliant, just duller, less Alexander. He laughed less, made less innocent smartassy jokes, less quirky remarks, more dark dark humor and cruel remarks, his music changed too. He smoked more, we turned from business associates to drinking buddies. He didn’t show it, but it was in the air; he despised me more every night”  
-“Maybe cause you slept with his fiancé?”  
-“In my defense, he fucked my husband too, but then again, I couldn’t care less about Lupus. Emir however, was a different story. They weren’t all that affectionate, but the minute someone says “music” there it is. The connection, the reason, the engagement… It suddenly all makes sense and you see how they fit together, how The Masker Master turns into Emir. How exclusive their relationship is, heck, how exclusive Emir is. Your brother was the only person who got to have him. And that’s what’s so twisted about This Masker individual, he surpasses Emir. He destines Emir to loneliness. He destines him to Alexander, to live in fear. Cause one day Alexander would leave and that would be the death of Emir. He placed this boy’s life in your brother’s hands, he forced your brother to kill the love of his life”  
-“What?”  
-“The Master Masker knew Alexander would leave, everyone knew, and nobody comes out the same. They never do. There was this one guy, Peru”-Magnus remembered him form the party, where Kate/Vera and Alec danced, where learned about perspective-“The purest, highest voice, probably the next Van Gogh, an artist, one of a kind. But After, Now, you know what he does now? Smoke. He smokes. That’s all he does. Memory erased, voice used up, experimented on, so messed up, the only time he feels anything but pain, is when he smokes. Hasn’t touched a brush, nor a viola ever since. He only fucking smokes. He doesn’t even talk anymore, he could be deaf for all I know, but then again, I’ll never know will I?”  
-“You were close?”-Izzy asked after a while, breaking the silence  
-“Close? He is my fucking son for Christ’s sake!”-she exclaims and breaks down in small sobs-“my fucking son. Reduced to cigarettes”  
-“Peru is Chase…”-Magnus started putting the puzzle together-“They, whoever they are, erased his memory…That’s why you bought the bars. To find him…That’s why you kept returning to “Ay güey”…to see Jack…who doesn’t recognize you”-he run a hand through his hair, which for once wasn’t spiked up-“I’m so sorry”-and in 18 years Izzy had never heard anything more sincere than those 3 words  
-“They…They w… were gonna take him…again…he started rem…remembering…and Alexander…he…he said it was his fault…he took his place…I’m so sorry”-she got up and walked/wobbled off towards the washroom.  
-“Vera?”-Izzy asked in a small voice  
-“Ye..yes?”  
-“Why does Alec call him Chase?”-the older woman turned around and continued walking down the aisle, just inferno too the WC room she stopped and without turning round, in a very calm voice answered-“Your brother, when he, Vicky and Jack were still trapped at the experimental hangar, Alexander told them about his brother Jace, great Jace who always won, who was an amazing fighter, Jace the best at everything, he made you out to be a God Jonathan. Jack no longer wanted to be scared, he wanted to be like Alexander’s Jace, but being called Jace too wasn’t right, it wasn’t original enough, so he became Chase. Chase the conner”


	65. House of Masks

The rest of the flight was pretty uneventful, the landing horrible, the Spanish airport stressful and Pablo’s hand right now sticky.  
-“You must be Jace”-he spoke English, sure, if you call “yu mast bi Jais” English, but good enough-“Aim Pablo, Emires cosin Alejandro speakt grat sings of yu”  
-“I’m sure. Nice to meet you”-he added when he saw Magnus’ pointed look and Mrs. Strauss’ glare.-“Um these are Isabelle, Vera Strauss and I think you already met Magnus”  
-“Yes yes, mucho gusto volver a verle señor Bain”  
-“El gusto es mio Pablo, porfavor llámeme Magnus”-Izzy and him both starred at Magnus as if he had suddenly grown a third head. He spoke Spanish, sure whatever, but he had a close to non existent accent. He even brought the guy a present and they kept talking back and forth and Izzy just gaped at them, Vera didn’t give a damn, she probably spoke the language too. Jace was getting annoyed, but these people were friends with Alec, so let’s be nice. Nice…  
-“Por supuesto Magnus”  
-“Oh y les traje esto, es típico de mi tierra, ahí se usa para hacer algo parecido a las tortillas de maíz mexicanas”  
-“Muchísimas gracias, ya escuchó algo de los secuestradores?”  
-“No, por desgracia su único método de comunicación parece ser el lenguaje de las acciones, pero todavía no consigo descifrar eso de volar por los aires mis edificios favoritos. Debe ser algo de la nueva generación…”-Pablo & vera laughed at that, to which Pablo suddenly looked kind of embarrassed and what Jace guessed invited them inside-“oh dios mío! Por favor pasen, pase!”-he was right, Magnus & Vera started moving toward the door, the Lightwood siblings followed suit.

The house was bright, to say the least. Packet, white walls, huge windows and colors. Everything was freaking colorful. A green couch, yellow chairs, pink rugs, red here, blue over there. Picture frames lining up the wall, he looked at a couple over the chimney and there-“Iz…look…”-he could barely whisper-“What?…Oh…”-her eye screw big. A huge round table, laughing and eating & drinking people sat around it. it was kind of a tight fit, but everyone was smiling, and right there, next to a beautiful hispanic girl who appeared to be telling a joke to…was that Pablo? The guy looked so much younger, green eyes blazing, mesmerized by the hispanic chick. But next to her…A young man dressed in a white button down, sleeves rolled up, his hair one big black mess, tan skin, a little stubble, his eyes half closed, the long dark lashes casting shadows on his sun kissed face, mouth open in a frozen laugh, leaning into a tanner/darker/whatever doesn’t sound racist guy, with half long brown hair who’s shiny (his eyes were fucking shining) green eyes were gazing down at his companion with such fondness, no, not “fondness” that was god damn love, and his nose buried in the young man’s black hair. In Alec’s black hair.  
-“Oh, that’s your hermano”-Pablo noticed them starring at the photo-“That wos de day of San Juan…thei werr grait,so grait…and mi Vicky, mi poorer princesa”-Jace could see the change, the way even Pablo in his colorful house (which btw Magnus was probably loving) with his happy pictures, was worn down by life. Then the most unexpected thing happened, Izzy lay her hand on his shoulder and told him-“Lo siento”-it wasn’t perfect Spanish, and sounded more like loh sien-toh, but it was so…heartfelt? Sappy? Sincere? Non-Izzy-like? And the guy smiled at her, and he lay his hand over hers, what the fuck? She didn’t even pull away?-“Gracias, lo aprecio mucho”-what was happening? Was this the next Simon? Pablo wasn’t necessarily bad looking, but just not her type. He was not as thin as Simon but thinner than Jace, some stubble along his jaw line, the green eyes that apparently run in his family, plain white t-shirt and grey jeans. Nothing special, he probably even wore glasses to read! But whatever, a young girl came from the corridor, greeting them in Spanish, releasing her mistake and trying again in English, stating who she was, how wonderful it was to have them here, how their rooms ha already been prepared by her brother and how great they would all get along. She also hoped sincerely that they liked “paella” because that would be the only thing they would eat as long as her grandmother was alive and well enough to cook. All this in about 30 seconds and nearly perfect English, she then blushed, shook their hands and “offered” to take them on a tour around the house, breathed once, nodded, smiled and “let’s go”, this is the main…   
-“Wow”-Izzy whispered to Magnus-“I know right?”-he replied with raise eyebrows as Elena bubbled and gestured and answered all of vera’s questions about the architecture and the furniture, pointed out pictures Alec was in, told stories about them and pointed through different windows to show them gardens, beaches, “plazas”, “cüldesacks” and other things. She finally stopped before a white door with a black doorknob. She paused a moment and then motioned for Vera to follow her as she would show her the original blueprints of the house, Jace was thrown off his game a little by being ditched just like that, but as Elena walked after Vera she turned to Izzy and cited at the door-“Alec’s”-and gone stye were

-“That’s one hell of a small woman”-Magnus breathed as Jace opened the door.-“Hell yeah, Izzy you coming?”  
-“It’s just”-she looked worried-“This is Alec. This is it. This is his life, the life we never got to see, it wasn’t for us, it was his. And I’m not sure we should take that way from him…”  
-“You aren’t taking anything away from him, it’s just a room”  
-“We are invading him”  
-“Iz…This isn’t Max’s room. Alec is still here, we just need some clues to find him”  
-“…I…I’m not sure Jace”  
-“Goin”-someone said from behind her, as everyone turned around a…an…a TMM/Emir was revealed.  
-“Emir?”-she echoed  
-“Not quite”-he smiled, a crooked smile  
-“What..?”-Jace started, but Izzy interrupted-“Alesso”-his smile grew wider, if that was even possible-“You are the twin”  
-“Bingo! Ten pints to Isabelle, maybe even eleven for being pretty, what do the gents think?”-he took his headphones off hushed completely, putting them around his neck-“No jokes? Okay, okay. I get it. By the way, Alec would want you to go in there señorita, he told me and I quote, get my sister into the damn room, no matte what it takes. He knew you would stay outside, and if you ask me, he knew he would pay for his shitty mob. He knew a lot more than what he said. Nasty fella, your brother, but I gotta run, see you at dinner Lightwoods”-she nodded, then looked past Jace-“Mr. Bane”-and Magnus didn’t tell him to call him Magnus. Apparently for Alesso it was Mr Bane. As soon as he was gone and the door closed behind them, Magnus let out a quite noisy breath.  
-“You all right there, Mr.Bane?”  
-“Shut up”  
-“Seriously, you have been awfully quiet”-Izzy added  
-“Oh, you are suddenly concerned for my well being? How touching, I’m fine”-he turned around and started going through the first drawer  
-“You know we don’t actually hate you”-Jace said as he too turned around and started roaming through some sheet music-“That’s fantastic, though I never implied you hated me Herondale. I simply stated my indifference to your concern”  
-“Moody I see”-“Hey Jace, look at this”-Izzy was holding up a bunch of returned letters, they were addressed to their boarding school in the UK. There were about a hundred letters addressed to Jace, to Izzy, to their parents, to Max.-“Unbelievable, we never got a single letter”-Izzy breathed  
-“They all went through the principal, which means they went through Mum…She didn’t even open them…God…”  
-“Stop whining about your mum and check when he gave up sending them”-Magnus interrupted  
-“Huh?”  
-“Alec wouldn’t just stop trying something changed, check when and we’ll be one step closer to what”-he turned back to the drawers  
-“Hm…”-It took a while-“Here! February third, when did Vicky die again?”  
-“Twenty something, so it wasn’t that”-Jace answered  
-“24”-Magnus stated under his breath-“What was that?”-Jace glanced at Magnus, who had frozen up and was glaring down at the “whatever was in there”  
-“She passed away on the 24 February”  
-“Seriously, shit aside, are you all right?”-Izzy sounded honestly concerned  
-“I said I was fine.”-he resumed his poking around-“So if it wasn’t Vicky, what was it?”  
-“I don’t know! What are you even looking for there? Sexy boxer shorts or some left over strawberry flavored condoms?”-Jace threw his hands in the air. Seriously, what was wrong with him, this condensed prick acting all annoyed and shit and when asked what was wrong just going all I’mfineleavemealone, he HATED it when people did this, and added to the fact that they were halfway through the room and hadn’t found a single clue while Magnus stood there, looking into those fucking four drawers.  
-“Jesus Christ Herondale!”-Magnus turned around, walked over to Jace, grab him by the collar and dragged him over to the drawers, sticking his head into the open one. Jace froze.-“Those are evidence bags”-“Look at the time stamps!”-“…Alec’s flight”


End file.
